Embodied Cognition and Motor Activity

The objective of this paper is to review the main studies carried out on the theme of the embodied cognition, outlining the link between neuroscience and motor and sports activities in the most general sense possible. According to the embodied cognition perspective, cognitive processes are not limited to operations that take place within the cognitive system, but include broader body structures and processes of interaction with the environment (Lakoff, Johnson, 1999, Noe, 2004, Chemero, 2009). The embodied cognition approach states that mind and body are not separate and distinct, as Descartes mistakenly thought (Damasio, 1995). Therefore, by merging the studies in the literature in homogeneous sets in terms of research methodology, chronology and points of view on the relationship between embodied cognition and motor activity, this research will attempt to clarify and expand the state of the art on the chosen topic, highlighting some limitations of the literature and imagining future opportunities and directions of the research itself.