Okuzeka
Physiotherapy vocabulary · Instructions and Patient Talk

Hold

Meaning in physiotherapy, with examples

/hoʊld/verbCore term

In physiotherapy, hold means: To keep a part of the body still in one position for a set time during an exercise or stretch, before relaxing.

In Turkish: tutmak, beklemek, pozisyonda kalmak

How it is used

One of the most frequent words in exercise instructions: 'hold for five seconds', 'hold it there', 'hold, and relax'. Physiotherapists include the hold time in the exercise dose, for example '10 reps, 5-second hold', and remind patients to keep breathing while they hold.

Example sentences

  1. Lift your leg, hold it for five seconds, then slowly lower it.

  2. Don't hold your breath while you hold the stretch.

Common collocations

  • hold for ten seconds
  • hold the position
  • hold and relax
  • hold time
  • stretchTo lengthen a muscle or other soft tissue by moving a part of the body into a position where it feels pulled, usually holding it there for some seconds.
  • isometric exerciseExercise in which a muscle works and tightens but the joint does not move, for example pushing against a wall.
  • repetitionOne complete performance of an exercise movement, for example bending and straightening the knee once.
  • tightenTo make a muscle work so that it becomes firm, often without moving the joint, as in the instruction 'tighten your thigh muscle'.

More terms: Instructions and Patient Talk

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.