Introduction to Movements

Anatomical body position

- A universal starting point where the body stands in an upright position, the feet are
shoulder-width apart and parallel, and toes are facing forward.
- This position enables you to identify the location and parts of your body quickly.

Supine - Lying face upward.

Prone - Lying face downward.

Flexion - Bending movement around a joint in a limb.

Extension - Straightening movement that increases the bones between body parts.

Body Planes
In sports anatomy and the medical field, the body plane has three types:
 Sagittal Plane - Invisible line that segregates the two portions of the body, the
right and the left.
o (also called Median Plane or Mid Sagital.)
o Parasagittal Plane- Plane parallel or adjacent to a given sagittal plane.
 Frontal Plane or the Coronal Plane - Segregates the body into two portions,
the anterior and the posterior.
 Transverse Plane or Horizontal - Separates the body into two parts, the
upper part and the lower part.
Directional Terms
- describing the relative locations of different body structures.

1. Anterior is the pectoral aspect of the body or on the front of the body. The
breastbone is anterior to your spine.
2. Posterior is the opposite of anterior or the rear position of your body. The heart is
posterior to your breastbone.
3. Superior is the higher part of the body from the head, pectorals, abdomen, and
going to the trunk. The head is superior to your abdomen
4. Inferior is the lower part structure of the body from hips, quad, hamstring, and tibia
going to feet. The knee is inferior to your abdomen.
5. Lateral is the direction of the movement from the left side of the body to the right or
vice versa. The arm is lateral to the chest.
6. Medial is the direction of the movement toward the center of the body. For instance,
the hallux is located at the medial toe.
7. Proximal is the movement geared toward the center or near the center of the body.
The elbow is proximal to your wrist.
8. Distal is the movement away from the point of the attached trunk of the body. The
knee is distal to the thigh.
9. Superficial is a position that refers to the surface of the body, such as the skin is
superficial since it is over the bones.
10. Deep is the position located inside of your body or the opposite of superficial. The
lungs are deep to the
skin.

Atomical terms
- Body movement are utilized to characterize the activities of the muscles on the
skeleton.
Flexion - is when the angle in the middle of its proximal segment is reduced.
Extension - is when the body parts are prolonged, and their angles are straightened.
Abduction - is a movement away from the midline then.
Adduction - is a movement of a body part toward the direction of the sagittal plane.

Internal Rotation or Medial rotation - rotational movement of a body part around the axis.
External Rotation or Lateral rotation - rotational movement away from the center of the body.
Circumduction - combination movement of flexion, extension, adduction, and abduction.

Pronation - rotational motion of the forearm in which the upper arms are directed toward the
inner direction and the palm must face the floor while rotating the arm.
Supination - rotational motion of the forearm in which the direction is outward.

Dorsiflexion - motion of the toes toward the direction of the shin.

Plantarflexion - downward movement of the foot.
Inversion - motion of the foot towards the midline.
Eversion - sideways motion of the foot away from the midline part of the body.

Protraction - motion of the mandible jaw or shoulder in a forward direction

Protraction - motion of the mandible jaw or shoulder in a backward direction.
Elevation - motion refers to the upward direction of the mandible jaw or shoulder.
Depression - motion refers to the downward direction of the mandible jaw or shoulder.
Opposition - movement of the thumb toward each finger or the grasping of the thumb to all
fingers.
Reposition - movement of the thumb toward the original position after grasping all fingers.