What is kinesiology?

Table of contents

1. The science behind how your body moves
2. What does a kinesiologist do?
3. What can you do with a kinesiology degree?
4. Is kinesiology a hard major?
5. A key takeaway

The science behind how your body moves 

Kinesiology is the scientific study of human movement. It looks at how your muscles, bones, nerves, heart, and lungs work together. It explores how motivation, learning, and the environment shape the way you move. 

Think of it this way: every movement you make, no matter how big or small, comes from multiple systems working together. Kinesiology helps explain how they all connect, and what happens when something isn’t working properly.

An interesting part about kinesiology is that it brings together many disciplines, connecting biomechanics, anatomy, physiology, social sciences, nutrition, and neuroscience into one field.  

Key principles of kinesiology 

Along with its multidisciplinary nature, kinesiology has a few core concepts:  

• Biomechanics: Uses principles from physics to understand how forces, motion, and technique influence movement. It looks at things like joint angles, lever arms, and ground reaction forces to explain efficiency and injury risk. 
• Anatomy: Identifies and describes muscles, joints, and connective tissues which are the basic structures that make movement possible. 
• Physiology: Focuses on how energy systems, the heart, lungs, and nerves work together during activity, fatigue, and recovery. 
• Motor control and learning: Studies how the nervous system plans, adjusts, and improves movement over time which shapes rehabilitation strategies. 

What does a kinesiologist do? 

Kinesiologists help people move better, feel stronger, and prevent injuries by assessing movement and building evidence-based, personalized exercise programs that support long-term well-being. Day to day, that can mean movement assessments, fitness testing, personalized exercise planning and progression, injury risk screening, ergonomic reviews, and tracking outcomes to refine what’s working for individuals. 

Kinesiologists can support everything from recovery after an injury to improving athletic technique. Here are just some of the areas they work in: 

• Clinical rehabilitation  
• Athletic performance 
• Public health 
• Workplace ergonomic consulting 

Kinesiology in practice

One example of this work in action comes from Stephanie Pitton, a graduate of our Bachelor of Science program (BSc '09) in Kinesiology. After completing her degree, Stephanie went on to pursue additional certification to work with clinical populations — people who are dealing with injuries, illnesses, or medical conditions that require specialized care and support. She also gained early volunteer experience with UW WELL-FIT at the University of Waterloo’s Centre for Community, Clinical and Applied Research Excellence (CCCARE). 

Stephanie now works as a Registered Kinesiologist and Clinical Exercise Physiologist serving as a Program Lead with the UW WELL-FIT exercise oncology program at Waterloo’s CCCARE. Much of her work involves supporting people undergoing cancer treatment, cancer survivors, and adults with neurological conditions such as stroke and mild cognitive impairment.  

For many of Stephanie’s clients, exercise becomes more than physical training. She highlights its impact: “Their diagnosis has been life-altering, creating a sense of uncertainty and loss of control. Exercise becomes a powerful tool to empower and regain a sense of control during one of the most challenging periods of a person’s life,” says Stephanie. 

She also helps train and mentor Kinesiology students in work-integrated learning and volunteer roles, supporting them as they develop clinical reasoning skills and confidence working with specialized populations. 

What can you do with a kinesiology degree? 

This may surprise you, but a degree in kinesiology opens the door to a wide range of rewarding careers and possibilities that are more than just becoming a kinesiologist! Because the field blends so many disciplines, many graduates work in areas that involve rehabilitation and clinical exercise, ergonomics, wellness coaching, and research, just to name a few. 

Stephanie’s role as a Registered Kinesiologist and Physiologist in clinical exercise and cancer care is just one example of where a kinesiology degree can lead. Some other examples of interesting careers graduates pursue include:  

• Athletic trainer 
• Design researcher 
• Doctor 
• Flight paramedic 
• Orthopedic surgeon 
• Territory business manager 
• Chiropractor 
• Many others 

Some Waterloo Kinesiology graduates also continue into graduate programs. At the University of Waterloo, you can choose from several of these programs such as Master of Science (MSc), Master of Kinesiology (MKin), and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Aging, Health, and Well-being. 

Is kinesiology a hard major? 

Kinesiology can be challenging due to the breadth and depth of the field. As mentioned previously, the program covers many detailed topics like anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, neuroscience, nutrition, and motor control and learning. This means there’s a lot of complex information to take in.  

What many students find most demanding but also most rewarding is learning how to connect those concepts and apply them in real-life situations, rather than just memorizing facts. 

Hands-on learning plays a big role in the program. Labs, campus jobs, co-op, and volunteer opportunities help turn theory into practice and make the workload feel more meaningful. For many students, that applied experience is what makes the program more engaging overtime. 

Skills you’ll build along the way 

Alongside the strong foundation you’ll gain from the coursework, Waterloo’s Kinesiology program helps you develop the skills needed to think critically and make informed decisions in real-world settings. This includes clinical reasoning, problem‑solving, and the ability to connect information across disciplines to support people.

You'll also learn to look beyond the physical side of health. Kinesiology shows how psychological, social, and medical factors all shape a person’s experience with movement, helping you approach exercise in a more thoughtful, individualized way.  

Together, these skills prepare you to work with diverse populations and adapt to different roles within the field. 

A key takeaway

If you’re considering studying Kinesiology, the biggest thing to know is that it’s a field you really understand by doing. The classroom gives you the foundation, but it’s hands-on experiences that help you figure out where your degree can take you. Here’s how Stephanie, one of our Kinesiology alumni, puts it.