Anatomical Kinesiology

Kinesiology has been widely accepted as an integral course in the under-graduate curriculum of those who will specialize in human movement. It is puzzling, therefore, that the meaning of the word kinesiology is not more commonly known. Taken literally, the word can be separated into its roots of ology (science of) and kinein (to move). Unfortunately, the resulting definition, “science of movement,” is too broad to be useful, for to say that one is studying the science of movement could indicate anything from human anatomy to the development of human reflexes. Certainly, these disciplines are related to kinesiology—each shares a common object of study, the human being. Kinesiology is, however, uniquely different from all other movement sciences in that its focus is upon knowledge of the mechanics of movement which emerge from the blending of the knowledge of human anatomy with that knowledge basic to the study of physics. For example, in kinesiology, one learns to relate the facts of muscular origin and insertion of anatomy to mechanics such as joint axis and angle of insertion in order to explain the actions of a given muscle. One learns, also, to relate muscle actions and joint positions to the demands of successful performance in daily activities.