KIN 201: Introduction to Kinesiology Importance of Physical Activity Experience Philosophy of Physical Activity
What is Kinesiology?
Morning overview of kinesiology as the study of movement across many contexts: sports, chores, workouts, and general movement.
Kinesiology is a discipline: a grand body of knowledge organized around the theme of physical activity.
Sub-disciplines influencing kinesiology: physiology, sociology, psychology, biology, and other fields.
These sub-disciplines are often treated as specialties or majors within kinesiology.
Undergraduate paths commonly lead to a BS in Kinesiology with different option areas (e.g., Exercise Science, Fitness, PE/Health/Activity Teacher options, Sports Leadership).
Degree architectures:
Bachelor's degrees: BS or BA in kinesiology (as offered at Cal State Long Beach in the content).
Graduate degrees: MA or MS; other master’s options include Master’s in Individualized Studies, Sports Management, Exercise Physiology, Nutrition, Sport and Exercise Psychology, and Athletic Training (the latter often requires a master’s degree to practice across all 50 states).
Some students pursue PhD or professional programs (PT, OT) after the master’s.
Faculty and opportunities:
Multiple faculty members and lecturers (e.g., Dr. Crest, Dr. Randall Young, Dr. Jan Schroeder, Dr. Michelle Allen Carr, Dr. Williams, Dr. Walters, etc.).
Faculty are involved in guest lectures, research, and mentorship (e.g., weight bias research with Dr. Walters).
Department structure and labs:
Exercise Science department with several professors and labs.
On-campus resources include many labs (approximately 22 labs mentioned) often run by graduate assistants.
Biomechanics lab and other labs support upper-division coursework and projects.
On-campus spaces and opportunities beyond coursework:
LifeFit Center: a dedicated gym space for the Long Beach community (not typically available to students).
Student clubs and labs: ASAP (Adaptive Physical Activity Program), FIT Lab, Movement Science Lab, STAR (Sport Training and Research Club), Pexus Lab, Sport and Exercise Psychology Lab, Athletic Training Lab, etc.
These spaces support coaching, athletic training, biomechanics, nutrition, psychology, and overall kinesiology-related activities.
How to engage:
Check the kinesiology homepage and events page for clubs and labs; many options exist to gain hands-on experience.
Quick takeaway: kinesiology is a holistic and interdisciplinary field focused on movement, with broad career and study options, strong faculty mentorship, and numerous labs and clubs to support hands-on learning.
Conceptual Framework: How We Learn Kinesiology
The three main forms of knowledge acquisition in kinesiology:
Physical activity experience (direct personal experience; doing and observing movement).
Scholarship (systematic study of physical activity and kinesiology, including coursework and research).
Professional expertise (application in real-world settings; designing and implementing physical activity programs).
This framework is presented as equally important; arrows between components indicate bidirectional influence and ongoing interaction.
Vision: you stay physically active as a professional, which informs your understanding of movement and enhances your career.
Each week in class will alternate focus between experiential learning, scholarship, and professional expertise.
Key emphasis: three domains are interconnected and collectively build knowledge and practice in kinesiology.
Physical Activity Experience
Definition: direct personal experience of watching or doing physical activity.
Vicarious experience: internalizing what others are doing by watching sports or activities (watching can be informative even if you aren’t participating).
Scholarship component: studying kinesiology (e.g., attending KIN 201 and discussing with peers).
Professional component: applying knowledge in real-world contexts (e.g., internships, client programs).
Examples of experiences:
Youth soccer (CYO) and other organized activities.
Broad activities such as building motor skills in children.
The domain emphasizes experiential learning as a core source of knowledge about movement.
What is Physical Activity?
Definition (as used in the course):
Important distinctions:
Movement occurs in many contexts (even during sleep), but not all movement qualifies as physical activity.
Physical activity must be intentional, voluntary, and goal-directed.
Observing the interplay between personal choice and environment:
Personal circumstances (e.g., geography, personal attributes) influence what activities are feasible or appealing.
Social environment (local culture, community resources) also shapes opportunities for physical activity.
ASL demonstration (illustration): to distinguish movement vs. physical activity, an ASL example is used to distinguish a sign for movement (m) from physical activity (p).
Local context examples:
Geography: access to the ocean may enable surfing in some places but not everyone.
Local culture: Long Beach is described as an active community with public access to spaces for activity.
Access disparities: budget, parks, and facilities affect opportunities for physical activity.
Personal attributes and experiences influence desirability and engagement in physical activity.
Institutional and social support matters (coaches, teachers, peers) for developing activity habits.
Seven Purposes of Physical Activity (Seven Motives)
Physical activity is typically undertaken for multiple reasons; seven commonly cited purposes (the class notes seven purposes, though the transcript enumerates six explicit items and implies a seventh). The main purposes mentioned are: 1) Self-sufficiency (ability to live independently; ADLs, IADLs, and home maintenance).
ADLs: Activities of Daily Living (e.g., eating, grooming).
IADLs: instrumental activities of daily living (e.g., grocery shopping, laundry).
Home maintenance abilities: highly specialized tasks (e.g., car maintenance) that may require assistance.
Relevance for OT/PT: helping people regain independence using physical activity.
2) Self-expression (using physical activity to express emotions, identity, or feelings).
3) Leisure (the state of contentment, challenge, creativity, identity through activity).The aim of leisure activity can be happiness and personal meaning, not just achievement.
4) Health (health maintenance and disease prevention; exercise as medicine).
5) Community health (social and environmental health, e.g., maintaining neighborhoods, reducing risk factors).
6) Competition (the drive to compete; motivation to improve and persevere; can foster personal excellence or manage fear of losing).
7) [Seventh purpose not explicitly enumerated in the transcript; the discussion centers on the six listed above and the active role of competition and health as central motives.]
The purposes can be overlapping and culturally/contextually dependent; individuals may be motivated by more than one reason simultaneously.
Examples and notes:
Leisure emphasizes enjoyment and identity through movement.
Health emphasizes physical activity as a protective factor against hypokinetic diseases.
Competition often ties to sport but also motivates practice and skill development.
The Sport Concept and Its Components
Definition of sport (as used in kinesiology):
An institutionalized competitive activity that involves physical skill, field and specialized facilities, and equipment, governed by a set of rules to determine a winner.
Four components to be considered a sport:
1) Institutionalization: formal rules and codes of conduct established by overseeing bodies (e.g., NCAA, leagues, governing organizations).
2) Competitive outcome: there must be a winner and a loser; competition is a core element.
3) Physical skill: movement, coordination, strength, speed, endurance, flexibility.
4) Equipment and facilities: standardized balls, gear, and spaces that enable play (e.g., ball sizes vary by age/gender and sport).The rules of sport have evolved with time (e.g., rule adoption changes every season in college football; rules are not fixed forever).
Historical context: before the mid-1800s, there was less standardization; institutionalization enabled fair cross-regional competition.
The role of governing bodies is central to legitimizing sport and standardizing competition across levels (youth, college, professional).
Sports and movement extend beyond elite competition to everyday activity and education; kinesiology covers broad movement studies, not only sports.
Ball size and equipment examples illustrate how equipment varies by sport, age, and gender (e.g., water polo ball sizes, basketball sizes, soccer ball characteristics).
Evolution and Scope of Kinesiology as a Discipline
Kinesiology as a discipline grew significantly in the 1990s: recognition that exercise and physical activity contribute to health and longevity.
Growing variety of careers and interdisciplinary approaches: teacher, coach, strength and conditioning specialist, sports management, health promotion, wellness coaching, etc.
The field is holistic and people-focused, embracing multiple perspectives to improve health and performance.
The discipline supports lifelong learning and professional development: graduate degrees, certifications, and ongoing education.
The Role of Philosophy in Physical Activity and Kinesiology
Philosophy is described as the queen of sciences because it asks fundamental questions that underpin scientific inquiry (e.g., why we should be physically active; what counts as truth and justification).
Core philosophical domains in kinesiology:
Metaphysics: the nature of health and physical activity; what is real; what does it mean to be healthy.
Epistemology: how we know things; levels of confidence and justification for claims; four levels of truth claims (see below).
Axiology: values and ethics; how values shape our actions and professional behavior; the role of ethics and morals in sport and health.
Reflection and the scientific method: ongoing self-checks and critical thinking about what we know and how we know it are foundational.
Epistemology: levels of truth claims in research and practice:
Personal opinion: a subjective view with little to no external support.
Speculation: a theory that may be grounded in some truth but lacks weight of evidence.
Probable assertion: substantial evidence supporting a claim, but not universally accepted as truth.
Truth assertion: claims that are strongly evidenced and difficult to question.
The discussion emphasizes careful evaluation of sources and claims to distinguish fact from opinion or speculation.
Axiology: value systems in health and movement, including materialism vs dualism vs holism:
Materialism: human beings as machines; focus on physical health.
Dualism: mind and body as distinct but interrelated; health includes mental and physical components.
Holism: health as overall wellness encompassing physical, mental, emotional, and social aspects.
Ethics and morals:
Morals: internal, conscience-driven norms; personal principles of right and wrong.
Ethics: external, societal expectations and formal rules (laws, codes of conduct).
Examples and tensions: fairness in sport, whistleblowing, and real-world ethical dilemmas.
Visual analogy: Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket as an illustration of internal morals vs external ethics.
The ethics discussion also highlights that sport provides complex situations where lines between morals and ethics can blur and require careful consideration.
The class mentions a video case on whistleblowing ethics as an applied exploration of ethics vs morals in sport (not shown in the transcript).
Key Takeaways and Practical Notes
Kinesiology is a broad, interdisciplinary field centered on movement and physical activity, with diverse pathways from undergraduate majors to graduate specialization.
Learning in kinesiology occurs through three interrelated domains: experience, scholarship, and professional expertise; all are equally important and continuously influence one another.
Physical activity is purposeful, voluntary movement aimed at a goal; not all movement qualifies as PA (e.g., implicit or involuntary activity).
Personal and environmental factors jointly shape how and why people engage in physical activity.
The seven (often cited) purposes of physical activity include self-sufficiency, self-expression, leisure, health, community, and competition, with the seventh purpose not explicitly enumerated in the transcript.
Sport is institutionalized, competitive, skill-based, and equipment-enabled; understanding sport requires recognizing the roles of governing bodies and standardized rules.
The growth of kinesiology as a discipline in the 1990s reflects a broader appreciation of physical activity in health, education, and society and emphasizes holistic, interdisciplinary approaches.
Philosophy, including metaphysics, epistemology, and axiology, provides a foundational framework for questioning, validating, and guiding practices in kinesiology.
Ethics and morals intersect in sport and health professions; professionals must navigate internal values and external rules to act responsibly.
Numerous opportunities exist for involvement outside coursework (labs, clubs, community programs, and internships). Check the kinesiology homepage and events page for current clubs, labs, and opportunities.
Quick Reference: Terms and Concepts
ADL: Activities of Daily Living
IADL: Instrumental Activities of Daily Living
MA/MS: Master of Arts / Master of Science
BS / BA: Bachelor of Science / Bachelor of Arts
PA: Physical Activity (as defined in class)
Metaphysics: nature of health and physical activity; questions about reality and truth
Epistemology: evidence, justification, and levels of truth claims
Axiology: values; ethics and morals; how values shape behavior
Dualism vs Materialism vs Holism: different views on mind-body relations and health
Conductive vs Deductive vs Descriptive reasoning: three modes of reasoning used in philosophy and science
Questions to Consider for Review
How do personal circumstances and social environment shape physical activity choices in your community?
How do you distinguish between movement and physical activity in everyday life?
What are the four components that must be present for an activity to be considered sport?
How can ethics and morals conflict in real-world scenarios within kinesiology practice?
In your own words, summarize the three domains of knowledge acquisition and why they should be balanced in your learning.
Next Steps and Break
The session will alternate between exploring scholarship and professional expertise in future classes.
If you have questions about faculty, labs, or clubs, consult the kinesiology homepage and department contacts.
Take a moment to reflect on where your interests lie (undergraduate options, graduate pathways, and potential career directions).