Understanding planes of movement

In physical education, we use planes of movement to describe how the body moves in different directions during exercise or sport. A plane is an imaginary flat surface that passes through the body, helping us visualise and analyse movements more clearly. Every time you move a body part or your whole body, that movement occurs within one of these planes.

Planes make it easier to break down complex actions by showing the direction of the motion.

The three main planes of movement

There are three key planes that divide the body in different ways. Each plane splits the body into sections, allowing us to categorise movements based on how they align with these divisions.

Sagittal plane

• This plane divides the body into left and right halves.
• Movements in this plane typically involve forward and backward actions, such as walking or bending at the knee.

Frontal plane

• This plane divides the body into front (anterior) and back (posterior) sections.
• It is used for side-to-side movements, like jumping jacks or lateral raises.

Transverse plane

• This plane divides the body into top (superior) and bottom (inferior) parts.
• Movements here involve twisting or rotational actions, such as turning your head or rotating your torso.

Understanding axes of movement

Axes of movement complement planes by providing a point of rotation for body actions. An axis is an imaginary straight line that runs through the body, and movements rotate around this line. This helps explain how joints and limbs pivot during activities.

Every movement involves rotation about an axis, working in combination with a plane. If discussing more than one axis, we refer to them as axes.

The three main axes of movement

Just like planes, there are three primary axes, each running through the body in a different direction. These axes align with the planes to define complete movements.

Sagittal axis

• This axis runs from the front to the back of the body.
• It allows for movements that involve side-to-side tilting or lifting, such as cartwheels.

Frontal axis

• This axis runs from left to right across the body.
• It supports forward and backward bending movements, like somersaults.

Vertical axis

• This axis runs from the top to the bottom of the body.
• It enables twisting or spinning actions, such as pirouettes in dance.

Pairing specific movements with planes and axes

Every body movement combines a plane and an axis, and certain types of movements always use the same pairing. This consistency helps in analysing sports techniques, where understanding these pairs can improve performance and reduce the risk of strain.

Types of movement

Flexion occurs when a joint angle decreases, like bending your elbow, while extension increases the joint angle, like straightening it. Abduction moves a limb away from the body's midline, such as raising your arm sideways, and adduction brings it back towards the midline. Rotation involves turning a body part around its long axis, like twisting your neck to look behind you.

Key movement types and their plane-axis pairs

• Flexion and extension - These occur in the sagittal plane and rotate about the frontal axis.
• Abduction and adduction - These take place in the frontal plane and rotate about the sagittal axis.
• Rotation - This happens in the transverse plane and rotates about the vertical axis.

These pairs are fixed; for instance, any movement in the transverse plane will always rotate about the vertical axis.