1. Types of Body Movements

2. Video

3. Flexion
You will need to know the action or movement performed for each of the muscles we study. The first type of movement is called flexion. Note the lower leg is being flexed in this diagram. During flexion the angle of joint is decreased. As the knee is flexed, the angle between the lower leg and the thigh is decreased. Flexion of the upper arm is also illustrated in this diagram. Here the angle between the arm and the frontal plane is decreased.

4. Extension
Extension is the opposite of flexion. In extension the angle of a joint is increased. Extension of the lower leg causes an increased angle between the lower leg and the thigh.

5. Hyperextension
Flexion and extension also apply to the neck. When a joint is extended past the anatomical position the movement is called hyperextension.

6. Abduction, Adduction & Circumduction
Abduction refers to moving away from the median plane of the body. Adduction is the opposite movement to abduction. It is moving toward the medial plane. Circumduction refers to inscribing a circle while moving a limb.

7. Rotation
Rotation is turning a bone on its own axis. Moving the head back and forth to indicate “no” is an example of rotation. Note the difference between medial and lateral rotation. In lateral rotation the limb is rotated the lateral side of the body. Medial rotation rotates the limb toward the medial side of the body.

8. Inversion & Eversion

9. Pronation & Supination

10. Opposition

11. Elevation & Depression

12. Protraction Retraction

13. Dorsiflexion & Plantar Flexion

14. Radial flexion & Ulnar flexion

15. Body Movements Anterior View
circumduction
abduction of arm
adduction of arm
supination
pronation
abduction of leg
inversion
eversion
adduction of leg

16. Body Movements Lateral View
flexion of neck
hyperextension of neck
flexion at wrist
extension at wrist
flexion at elbow
extension at elbow
flexion of leg
flexion/extension of knee
dorsiflexion
plantar flexion

17. Number paper 1 – 20. Body Movements Quiz
Number paper 1 – 20.

18. Body Movement Description
In your notebook, describe the following movements:
Getting up out of your bed in the morning
Doing a jumping jack
Bending down to pick up something you dropped
A ballet dancer does a plie, then stretches one leg out to the side and points her toe. Then she pulls her leg down and brings both feet to the front.
While walking away from a two-story house, your friend calls out to you to say goodbye from an upstairs window. You turn to look and them and wave.