Author: Glossary

  • Resistive exercise resistance exercise

    Exercise in which a muscle contraction is opposed by force. Mechanical resistance exercise is exercise in which the opposition to muscle contraction is applied by weights or machinery; in manual resistance exercise the opposition is applied by a person. In either case the objective is to increase muscular strength or endurance.  

  • Regressive resistive exercise

    A form of active resistive exercise that advocates gradual reduction in the amount of resistance as muscles fatigue.  

  • Range-of-motion exercise

    Movement of a joint through its available range of motion. It can be used to prevent loss of motion.  

  • Progressive resistive exercise

    A form of active resistive exercise based on a principle of gradual increase in the amount of resistance in order to achieve maximum strength.  

  • Passive exercises

    A therapeutic exercise technique used to move a patient’s joints through a range of motion without any effort on the part of the patient. It is accomplished by a therapist, an assistant, or the use of a machine.  

  • Neurobic exercises

    Brainteasers, association tasks, calculations, puzzles, and other mental and physical exercises designed to stimulate thinking, problem solving, and other cerebral functions.  

  • Kinetic chain exercises

    An exercise that requires the foot (or hand) to apply pressure against a plate, pedal, or ground. This rehabilitation concept was determined by the anatomical functional relationship in the lower extremities. Kinetic chain exercises are more functional than open-chain exercises, in which the foot is off the ground and the force is generated by the…

  • Free exercises

    An exercise carried through with no external assistance.  

  • Flexibility exercises

    An exercise designed to increase joint range of motion and extensibility of muscle.  

  • Eccentric exercises

    An exercise in which there is overall lengthening of the muscle in response to an external resistance.