Learning About Kinesiology

What is Kinesiology?

This book is about kinesiology (say it: kin-EE-see-OL-oh-jee). Kinesiology is the study of how our bodies move.

This book was made to help people learn for free. It was written by Rodney Ragsdale and Emily Schaefer, with help from Jennifer Melena. Other experts checked it to make sure it was good: Joel Rogers and Diana Meehan. It was edited by Kyra Karatsu and Alexa Johnson. The cover picture is by Alan Calvert.

This is version 1.6.1, made in 2025.

Money to help make this book came from a U.S. government group called FIPSE. But that doesn't mean the government agrees with everything in the book.

Anyone can share this book for free, as long as they follow the rules of its license (called CC BY 4.0).

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What's Inside This Book

Chapter 1: Introduction to Kinesiology

• What is physical activity?
• School paths you can take
• A look at eSports (video game competitions)

Chapter 2: Why We Study Physical Activity

• Big ideas (philosophies) about physical activity
• Famous ideas in kinesiology
• How people do research
• Using these ideas in gym class (P.E.)

Chapter 3: History of Physical Activity

• Where physical activity came from
• From long ago to today
• How it started in the USA

Chapter 4: How Society Affects Sports

• Why we study people and sports together (sociology)
• History of this idea
• Why it matters

Chapter 5: The Mind and Sports

• How psychology (the study of the mind) connects to sports
• History of this idea
• Why it matters
• How people study this

Chapter 6: How We Learn to Move

• What is motor behavior? (how we control our movements)
• History of this idea
• Learning about how we grow, control, and learn movement

Chapter 7: The Science of Movement

• What is biomechanics? (the science of how our bodies move, like machines)
• History of this idea
• How it helps with jobs in kinesiology

Chapter 8: How Exercise Affects the Body

• What is exercise physiology? (how exercise changes our bodies)
• History of this idea
• How it connects to physical activity
• Research in this area

Chapter 9: Becoming a Physical Activity Expert

• Growing your skills
• Learning hard skills
• Following good rules (ethics)
• Classes you take in college

Chapter 10: Jobs in Kinesiology

• What people in this field do
• Where they work
• How to become a kinesiologist
• How much money you can earn
• Learning more after school
• Different careers you can choose

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Chapter 1: Introduction to Kinesiology

In this chapter, you will learn:

• What kinesiology is, and how it connects to physical activity
• How physical activity affects kinesiology
• What a career path is, and how to choose one

Do you think kinesiology is only about sports and exercise? It's not! Many different jobs use what you learn from studying kinesiology.

You could become an exercise physiologist (someone who studies how exercise affects the body), a prosthetist (someone who makes artificial body parts), or work in sports medicine. You could also become a teacher, a coach, or an athletic trainer. There are many more jobs, too!

Picking the right career path is an important step...