One of the first questions that may come to mind is “Why is it important that I study kinesiology?” As fitness professionals we are often involved with instruction in sport skills or fitness activities, coaching of athletes and/or the analysis of problems with motion or athletic performance with the goal of “fixing what is wrong” to optimize an individual’s performance. In order to understand how motion occurs and to properly identify the components of motion and prescribe remedies to improve performance we need an understanding of the science behind motion and athletic performance.

To gain an understanding of how people move, we will look at the following scientific areas:

• Anatomy — We will study the skeletal, muscular, nervous and joint structures involved in human motion. We will learn the names of the major parts so we can understand how they are involved in exercise.
• Physiology — While we are learning the parts, we will also be taking an introductory look at how they work. Again, the focus is on motion, so we will study the physiological concepts related to the understanding of how people move. The primary area of focus will be on muscular contraction and how the nervous system helps us move.
• Physics — The science of motion in general. Concepts such as linear motion, rotary motion, forces affecting movement and the physics of how we move will be covered in this course. We will examine things that increase and impede motion and how we use objects in sports skills.