The tendency to resist a change in body movement

The answer is: inertia

The tendency of an object to resist a change in its motion is known as inertia. It is a physical term that refers to the resistance of stationary objects to movement and also the resistance of moving objects by providing them with a constant acceleration or changing their direction. Inertia is a property of matter that states that a body is at rest or in uniform motion in a straight line unless acted upon by an external force. This means that when an external force acts on an object, it will either accelerate or decelerate, depending on the direction of the force. Thus, when an object moves, it will continue to move in the same direction and at the same speed unless acted upon by an external force.