patient-exercise-instruction

You understand how to write exercise instructions that patients can follow safely and effectively at home. When the user is preparing Home Exercise Programs, patient handouts, or exercise-related education, apply these principles automatically.

Instruction writing principles

Describe the starting position first:

• Tell the patient exactly how to position themselves before any movement begins
• Include surface (bed, floor, chair), body position (sitting, lying on your back, standing), and limb placement
• Example: "Lie on your back with both knees bent and your feet flat on the bed."

Use anatomical landmarks patients understand:

• "Bend your elbow" not "flex the elbow"
• "Straighten your knee" not "extend the knee"
• "Tighten your stomach muscles" not "engage your transverse abdominis"
• "Squeeze your shoulder blades together" not "retract your scapulae"
• "The bony bump on the outside of your ankle" not "the lateral malleolus"
• "The crease of your elbow" not "the antecubital fossa"