Kinesiology
Understand how structure becomes movement
Lesson 1 of 16
Movement vocabulary
Movement terms describe the direction a body part travels relative to a joint or the body's midline. The same visible motion can involve more than one plane or joint. Use anatomical position as a consistent reference, and name the joint when ambiguity is possible. These terms help you describe assessment findings without guessing at a diagnosis.
Key points
- Flexion usually decreases the angle between segments; extension usually increases it.
- Abduction moves away from the midline; adduction moves toward it.
- Rotation turns around a longitudinal axis; circumduction traces a cone-like path.
- Pronation and supination describe forearm rotation, not whole-arm movement.
- Dorsiflexion lifts the foot; plantar flexion points it downward.
- Elevation/depression and protraction/retraction describe selected girdle movements.
Key terms
- Flexion
- A movement that generally decreases the angle between bones at a joint.
- Abduction
- Movement away from the body's midline or reference axis.
- Rotation
- Turning of a segment around its longitudinal axis.
- Pronation
- Forearm rotation that turns the palm posteriorly in anatomical position.
- Dorsiflexion
- Ankle motion that brings the top of the foot toward the shin.
Memory tip
Pair each movement with its opposite and visualize the joint moving, not just the limb.
Clinical note
Joint range varies among people; never force a movement to match a textbook picture.
Unit checkpoint
Lock it in: match the terms, then test yourself.