The Field

Kinesiology is an interdisciplinary field focusing on the science of human movement. Its four basic elements--biochemistry, biomechanics, motor control, and physiology--can be integrated to allow kinesiologists to address a wide variety of questions. Some are basic: How are nerves, muscles, and joints coordinated to accomplish complex movements? What regulates the mixture of fuels oxidized at rest and during exercise? Others have applications to health: How much of what we call aging is actually due to physical inactivity? How can physical activity be used to prevent and/or manage chronic disease and disability? Still others involve rehabilitation: What factors contribute to musculoskeletal injury and how can they be reversed? and exercise performance: What limits human performance and how can it be optimized? In recent years, the field of kinesiology has evolved toward less emphasis on sport and a much stronger focus on a basic understanding of human movement and the role of physical activity and exercise in health and disease. To those ends, kinesiologists use tools from molecular biology, neuroscience, engineering, medicine, and computer science to work on unique problems in a diverse array of settings that include laboratories, hospitals, health and wellness centers, and field environments.