3 Planes of Movement | Sport Manitoba

By Sam Cortes, Communications Coordinator

Everyday we engage in a variety of activities, such as shopping and cooking, that necessitate all sorts of physical movements, like reaching, twisting, and bending.

To do these tasks, our bodies have to work in one of three different planes of movement, or in a combination of these planes.

It is important that we are physically literate in each of these planes in order to perform our daily activities with more ease and comfort, as well as to reduce our risk of injury while performing these tasks.

So, what exactly are the three planes of movement, and how can we work within each of them?

Sagittal Plane

The sagittal plane divides the body into left and right sides. Sagittal plane movement facilitates motion following this plane, such as walking, running, bending forward, and extending backward.

Examples of resistance training exercises working in the sagittal plane include bicep curls (photos below), squats, and deadlifts.

Examples of conditioning exercises in the sagittal plane include jogging, skiers (video below), and mountain climbers.

Frontal Plane

The frontal plane divides the body into front (anterior) and back (posterior) halves. Frontal plane movement facilitates motion, such as side-stepping, raising your arms out to the sides, and doing cartwheels.

Examples of resistance training exercises working in the frontal plane include lateral raises (photos below), hip abduction, and hip adduction.

Examples of conditioning exercises in the frontal plane include jumping jacks (video below), side shuffles, and squat jacks.

Transverse Plane

The transverse plane divides the body into top (superior) and bottom (inferior) halves. Transverse plane movement facilitates motion, such as turning door knobs, turning to look over your shoulder, and twisting to throw a frisbee.

Examples of resistance training exercises working in the transverse plane include Russian twists (photos below), woodchopper, and hip dip planks.