Biokinetics (derived from Greek words BIOS = life, and KINETICS = movement) is the science of movement for wellbeing. Its philosophy is that the entire body must function together for optimal health.
A Biokineticist’s primary focus is to improve the physical functioning of the body and enhance an individual’s quality of life through exercise and movement. The treatment approach is a series of sessions which focus on strengthening the musculoskeletal framework - joints, muscles, spine, and the body’s nervous, circulatory and lymphatic systems - using the elements of movement, which is vital to everyday life.
After evaluating posture, body composition, blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol levels, cardiac function/heart rate, lung function, balance, physical fitness, muscle strength, endurance and flexibility, a Biokineticist prescribes scientifically based exercise programmes, individually tailored to meet specific needs and conditions, and will monitor progress with a series of appointments.
Biokinetisists often work alongside other allied health and medical professionals (e.g. physiotherapists, chiropractors, and nutritionists).
The profession of biokinetics stems from the South African Physical Education Programme in the 1920s, which revealed that schoolboys were underdeveloped for their age and generally unhealthy. This prompted the SA Defence Force to establish the ‘Physical Training Brigade’ in 1934 - a specialised, collaborative, medical rehabilitation unit, whose job was to make these boys ready for the army.
In the 1960s, the Human Movement Science Department at the Potchefstroom University introduced a module on the salutogenic effect of exercise, called Kinetiotherapy, but it wasn’t until 1983, that biokinetics was recognised as a profession, and which is now helping people heal and thrive worldwide.
