Effective Exercise Instruction

Question 1

What is a motor task?

Answer 1

An exercise that the therapist teaches and expects a patient to learn

Question 2

What does motor learning involve?

Answer 2

Acquisition and relatively permanent retention of a skilled movement or task through practice

Question 3

3 Types of motor tasks

Answer 3

1) Discrete
2) Serial
3) Continuous

Question 4

What is a discrete motor task?

Answer 4

an exercise that has a recognizable beginning and end

Question 5

Examples of discrete motor tasks

Answer 5

• Isometric muscle contraction (quad set)
• Doing a push-up
• Locking a wheelchair
• Kicking a ball
• Lifting and lowering a weight
• Performing a hamstring stretch

Question 6

What is a serial motor task?

Answer 6

An exercise made up of a series of discrete movements combined in a particular sequence

Question 7

Examples of serial motor tasks

Answer 7

• Eating with a fork
• Wheelchair transfer
• Getting dressed

Question 8

What is a continuous motor task?

Answer 8

An exercise that involves repetitive, uninterrupted movements that have no distinct beginning or ending

Question 9

Examples of continuous motor tasks

Answer 9

• Walking
• Ascending/descending stairs
• Cycling

Question 10

3 Stages of motor learning

Answer 10

1) Cognitive Stage
2) Associative Stage
3) Autonomous Stage

Question 11

What occurs during the cognitive stage of motor learning?

Answer 11

The patient must figure out exactly what to do by thinking about each component or sequence, how their body is aligned, how far their body will move, and with what intensity or speed that should move.
This stage requires frequent feedback in order for the pt to perfect the exercise

Question 12

What occurs during the associative stage of motor learning?

Answer 12

The patient works on fine-tuning the motor task while they may explore slight variations and modifications.

Question 13

What occurs during the autonomous stage of motor learning?

Answer 13

The patient is able to perform the movements required for the motor task automatically and can easily adapt to variations in task demands

Question 14

What 3 variables affect motor learning?

Answer 14

1) Pre-practice
- the interest the pt exhibits in the exercise when the PT instructs them through it
2) Practice
- the patient must repeatedly perform a movement or series of movements in a task in order to learn the specific motor task
3) Feedback
- the pt must get feedback form both themselves and their PT in order to know how well they performed an exercise and how it will improve their function

Question 15

3 Factors Affecting Adherence of a motor task

Answer 15

1) A patient’s characteristics
2) Factors related to a patient’s health condition or impairments
3) Program-related variables