Biomechanics studies the mechanical aspects of human movement, including analyzing the forces and motions that occur during their movements. We will be studying the biomechanics of human movement this coming week. How the human body moves, functions, and interacts with the ground, walls and obstacles. #systema movement
Here are some key concepts within the biomechanics of human movement.
Kinematics: Kinematics deals with the description of motion, including the position, velocity, and acceleration of body segments and joints. It is concerned with the spatial and temporal aspects of movement, without considering the forces causing the motion.
Kinetics: Kinetics involves the study of the forces that cause or result from motion. This includes analyzing the forces produced by muscles, joints, and external sources, as well as the resulting effects on the body.
Muscle Mechanics: Understanding the mechanics of muscles is crucial in biomechanics. This includes the study of muscle contraction, force generation, and the role of muscles in controlling movement.
Joint Mechanics: Biomechanics considers the structure and function of joints, including how they move and the forces acting on them. Joint mechanics play a vital role in determining the range of motion and stability of movements.
Center of Mass (COM): The center of mass is the point in a body where the mass is concentrated. Understanding the movement of the center of mass is important in analyzing balance, stability, and coordination during various activities.
Balance and Stability: Biomechanics is applied to analyze and understand how the body maintains balance and stability during different movements and activities. Factors such as the distribution of body mass, base of support, and the position of the center of mass are crucial in maintaining balance.
Gait Analysis: Gait analysis involves studying the biomechanics of human walking. This includes the analysis of stride length, step width, joint angles, and forces involved in walking.
Sports Biomechanics: Applied biomechanics is often used in sports science to optimize performance, prevent injuries, and enhance training techniques. Athletes may undergo biomechanical analysis to improve their techniques and efficiency in movement.
Ergonomics: Biomechanics is applied to design equipment and workspaces optimized for human movement and efficiency. This is particularly important in fields such as occupational health and safety.
Rehabilitation: Biomechanics is utilized to understand movement impairments, design exercises, and develop interventions that facilitate recovery from injuries or surgeries.
The biomechanics of human movement is an interdisciplinary field that draws on principles from anatomy, physiology, physics, engineering, and mathematics to understand, describe, and optimize the mechanical aspects of human motion. It has broad applications in sports science, medicine, ergonomics, and various other fields. Let's see if we can uncover and discover better movements through our study in Systema.
A great book on this subject is called "Anatomy of Exercise: Third Edition" by Blandine Calais-Germain
Anatomy of Movement: Exercises, the companion volume to Anatomy of Movement, describes and illustrates, through hundreds of drawings, a comprehensive series of exercises involving the most common movements of the body. In this new third edition, all of the illustrations were updated and the photographs replaced with new illustrations. The exercises were chosen on the basis of their effectiveness and with concern for their safety. Some are designed to focus on strengthening a particular region or muscle group, others the entire body. Each exercise prepares the body to respond well to the demands of particular movements. Together they serve as a basis for the more specialized movements associated with various physical disciplines and therapies.Presentation follows the sequencing in Anatomy of Movement. For each body region the authors describe characteristic movements; potential sources of stiffness or laxity and how to detect, prevent and overcome them; how to strengthen specific muscles or muscle groups; and how to coordinate movements. This is followed by practice pages on which specific exercises are demonstrated.
Anatomy of Movement and Anatomy of Movement: Exercises describe the bones, muscles and joints, how they move, how to exercise specific and coordinated parts--with illustrations, photos and text that make it comprehensible even to someone like me, who's taken nary a class in anatomy, physiology or kinesiology