Anatomy: When someone is jumping, would that be movement through the transverse plane? Also, what plane would it be, if someone is stepping left or right?

The planes of movement relate more to movements in the body and joints. So in order to jump, there are different movements that need to happen. To jump high, one needs to bend (flexion) the knees, flex at the hip joints, and bend (dorsiflexion) at the ankle joints. All these movements happen in the sagittal plane, the same as when you step forward with the right or left foot. The arms might do many things in the jump, but if you raise the arms sideways (abduction) that movement happens at the shoulder joint and on the frontal plane. The transverse plane is the plane where twists happen, like twisting the spine to look back at someone who is calling you.

This is a popular book with our community and a recommended resource for understanding the planes of movement:

The Yoga Anatomy Coloring Book>>