You’ve heard the terms “functional exercise”, “functional movement” or “functional movement patterns”.   But what do these terms, thrown out there by trainers a lot, actually mean? The term “functional movement patterns” is confusing because it is really not a specific term. Trainers, especially those putting MSers on exercise programs, will usually take you through a program of upper and lower body exercises incorporating compound movements that ask your body to do several things at once. They tell you this is a functional exercise routine and that it’s the best way to help you with your MS limitations. Every exercise is NOT considered a functional one. So what’s the difference?