Albrecht Rick - Kinesiology For Dummies

Kinesiology For Dummies

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Copyright 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

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ISBN 978-1-118-54923-0 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-118-54924-7 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-54925-4 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-54926-1 (ebk)

Manufactured in the United States of America

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Chapter 1

In This Chapter

Identifying the fields within kinesiology

Grasping the concept of a systems approach to the control of the body

Studying the many aspects of movement

Evaluating whether this career is a good fit for you

T he human body was made to move. Your health depends on it, your survival is supported through it, and your ability to engage and interact with the world requires it. Kinesiology is the science behind movement, and it examines movement in a variety of areas, ranging from health and physiology to biomechanics and sport performance.

Because the human body is complex, the study of movement is complex as well. In this chapter, we offer a quick overview of the science, the field, and the options available to you as a student official or not of kinesiology.

Kinein is a Greek word meaning to move, and the study of movement is the foundation of the wide-ranging field of kinesiology. Kinesiology covers a broad array of disciplines that examine the human body at rest, during motion, and as it adapts and changes as a result of motion.

Before you can understand how the body moves and adapts to movement, you must understand the human body at rest. These basics knowing important biological processes, explaining the function of the body's structural components and its systems, knowing the chemical reactions that occur in the body, being familiar with principles governing matter in motion, and so on give you a working knowledge of the human body and how it works.

Here's a quick rundown of the subjects you need to know before you get into kinesiology, arranged in a way to give you a glimpse of how the body works:

• Biology: Learning about living organisms and what make them tick sets you on the right path. Biology helps you understand the structure and function of cells, their growth and development, and how they come together to form complex life forms.
• Anatomy: When you understand how organisms function at the level of the cell, you can then begin to understand how humans (and animals) are constructed. Understanding anatomy gives you the blueprint of a species. Anatomical study ranges from the structure of the very small (cells and tissues) to the very large (the hip-bone-connected-to-the-thigh-bone kind of info).

  If you want to learn how to train someone to increase muscle growth or bone strength, you really need to know how the muscles and bones are constructed!

• Physiology: With a firm understanding of cellular processes (biology) and how the body is put together (anatomy), you can start to examine how cells, tissues, and organs work together in a living body. Physiology examines the functions of the living tissues of the body. Whereas anatomy teaches you how the heart is constructed, physiology shows you how it works in relation to the lungs and the muscles and reveals its purpose throughout the body. By studying human physiology, you begin to see that the different structures of the body are designed for specific functions that, altogether, keep the entire body functioning.
• Chemistry: Humans are made of matter and require energy to live. Because the body is constructed of atoms, and energy is exchanged through the interaction of various atoms, molecules, and enzymes, you need a basic understanding of chemistry. This knowledge helps you understand what goes on in the body during exercise. After you know the basics of chemistry, you can then focus more closely on the chemistry of the human body.
• Biochemistry: Biochemistry gives you more in-depth understanding about how the body makes energy from the food eaten and how it uses that energy to keep the cells alive.
• Physics: Bodies are always in motion, even when they seem to be sitting still. Therefore, understanding matter in motion the realm of physics is essential to the study of kinesiology. Physics helps you understand the relationship between energy and force, levers (like joints!), center of gravity, and acceleration.
• Psychology: You can't fully understand movement unless you also understand the brain! Not only do you need to know the anatomy and basic physiology of the functioning areas of the brain, but you also must have an understanding about how the brain can adapt, learn, and develop new ways of moving the body. This area also delves into how emotions influence the body and behaviors.