Journal of Novel Physiotherapies
Open Access

Kinesiology is a term that covers ten different sub-sectors, including applied kinesiology (a pseudoscience-based technique that claims to be able to diagnose illness by testing muscle strength and weakness) and systematic kinesiology (a method that claims to be able to diagnose illness by testing muscle strength and weakness) (using energy feedback from our bodies to determine where health issues stem from).

‘While many of the sub-sectors lie under the umbrella of holistic medicine and alternative therapies, we have incorporated scientific and evidence-based approaches into a kinesis session at Coach London.’ ‘Kinesis is the study of the response to a stimuli.’ “Kinesis” means “movement,” and “ology” means “study of.”

It’s not just about muscles and joints; kinesis examines the entire body to determine the most efficient way for you to move in response to a stimulus like gravity or force [1].

‘This can be applied to anything in life, not just fitness — even stair climbing.’

To find areas of imbalance, it uses physiological, anatomical, biomechanical, sensory motor, and cognitive concepts.

The coaches at the new health, fitness, and performance club are all certified in biomechanics, functional anatomy, and motor skill acquisition, which is the process by which your brain interprets and learns movement.

With his kinesis group class, Gareth has created a new industry concept. Whereas kinesiology is often studied one-on-one, the Coach London team aims to provide you with the knowledge to recognise and adapt your own body performance for use in everyday life.

You will be using only your body weight to flow from one exercise to the next in a unique way that will stress every joint and muscle in your body. During the 45-minute session, you’ll learn how to regulate the intensity, time, and skill of each movement, based on your own unique abilities as well as manipulate the tempo and direction of force [2].

‘In our kinesis lesson, the coach would apply pressure to the joint to see what was going on with the muscle, soft tissue, connective tissue, neurological system, and joint,’ Gareth explains. ‘From an integrated standpoint, we look at the movement.’ Most exercises can be done on a scale, so they can be progressed and regressed as needed. To modify where the torque is, we vary the base (the foot you’re standing on) and your centre of mass in a split squat. We want to teach individuals how to move at their best, and if they understand the differences between their movement patterns, their bodies will know how to move in the most efficient way.’

There is no right or incorrect way to conduct an exercise, according to Gareth, because every human body moves differently. However, there may be a more efficient method available to you [3].

‘The less energy you use, the more efficient you are at accomplishing a task,’ he explains. ‘This is known as performance, and it can be applied to any aspect of life, not just fitness.’ It could be hauling shopping bags or walking up the stairs. You can improve your personal performance and lower your chance of injury if you grasp the mechanics of your body.’ Increased strength endurance and muscle tone, enhanced joint mobility and stability, and general movement efficiency and skill are all advantages of a kinesis class, so if you’re trying to set a new personal best or simply want to feel better in your body, consider adding a session to your regular workout routine [4,5].