The Art And Science Of Movement     Kinesiology is the art and science of human movement. The art and the science can coexist amicably in the study of human movement. Good scientists are artists. They think creatively to design innovative research protocols, to analyze their data and to reach valid conclusions. They meticulously attend to their projects as things of beauty, refining their craft in the pursuit of knowledge. Yet, despite this affinity and the growth of the popularity of this approach, the scientific method is not always the friend of the arts in kinesiology. The recent growth of interest in exercise and nutrition, health and healing and performance enhancement have tilted our field of study toward the scientific end of the spectrum. Sub-disciplines such as exercise physiology, biomechanics and motor control "rule the roost". Studies based in the humanities, such as sport literature, sport history and even philosophy are peripheral. The experiencing of movement through physical activity and dance is often marginalized in kinesiology programs that are based on the scientific method. Paradoxically, many of the students who populate this growing field gravitate towards human movement studies because of their own rewarding biographical experiences. Exercise 1: Does this statement ring true for you? Look back at your life history and recollect movement experiences that have profoundly influenced your study and career choices. Perhaps you remember family times that revolved around outdoor activities or dramatic exploits in Little League or overcoming the traumatic effects of injury.
Discussion: In every case, it was the profound effect of the experience that created an indelible imprint. Most of these childhood treasures transcend science. They cannot be measured, they are beyond statistical analysis, but the experiences you have remembered are an important part of your development. If we are to capture the essence of the meaning of movement in our field, we cannot allow the experiencing of our physical being to be squeezed out of kinesiology. These experiences include parameters that are amenable to scientific analysis, such as cellular and hormonal responses, kinematically measurable patterns of movement and mood states that are accessible through psychological profiling. For a full appreciation of the movement experience art and science must coexist. The effects of the beauty of the moment and the joy of rewarded effort defy science but we can grapple with them through philosophy. The realm of philosophy that can help us to understand the beauty in our movement is aesthetics. Recent aesthetic investigation has been focused on the processes of producing, experiencing and evaluating art and on those aspects of nature and human performance considered to be outside of the realm of art that nevertheless evoke an aesthetic response. We will now proceed to consider sport as art and movement as an aesthetic process.