1. Planes of Motion / Directional Movement Anatomical Terms
Exercise Science / Sports Medicine
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2. Anatomical Position
Anatomical Position – Standing upright, feet together or slightly apart, arms hanging but not touching the sides, with palms forward and thumbs pointing out.
Why?
The anatomical position is important because it’s the reference for all directional and movement terms.

3. Planes of Motion
Sagittal Plane(s): Divide the body into right and left segments.
Cardinal Plane: Divides the body into equal and portions.
Midsagittal Plane: Cardinal Sagittal Plane

4. Planes of Motion Continued
Coronal / Frontal Plane(s)- Divide the body into front and back segments.

5. Planes of Motion Continued
Transverse / horizontal Plane(s)- Divides the Body into top and bottom segments.

6. Planes of Motion Continued
Center of Mass / Center of Gravity – The point at which all three cardinal planes intersect.

7. Directional/Location Terms
Inferior-Refers to a structure being closer to the feet or lower than another structure in the body
Superior-Refers to a structure being closer to the head or higher than another structure in the body

8. Directional/ Location Terms Cont.
Anterior-Refers to a structure being more in front than another structure in the body
Posterior-Refers to a structure being more in back than another structure in the body

9. Directional/ Location Terms Cont.
Medial-Refers to a structure being closer to the midline or median plane of the body than another structure of the body
Lateral-Refers to a structure being farther away from the midline than another structure of the body

10. Directional/ Location Terms Cont.
Distal-(Reference to the extremities only)
Refers to a structure being further away from the root or attachment of the limb than another structure in the limb
Proximal-(Reference to the extremities only)
Refers to a structure being closer to the root of the limb than another structure in
that limb

11. Directional/ Location Terms Cont.
Superficial-Refers to a structure being closer to the surface of the body than another structure
Deep-Refers to a structure being closer to the core of the body than another structure

12. Directional/ Location Terms Cont.
Ventral-Towards the front or belly
Dorsal- Towards the back

13. Directional/ Location Terms Cont.
Prone-Lying face down
Supine-Lying face up

14. Directional/ Location Terms Cont.
Unilateral- pertaining to one side of the body
Bilateral- pertaining to both sides of the body.
Ipsilateral- movement of both upper and lower extremities on the same side.
Contralateral-movement of opposite upper and lower body extremities.