A joint control intervention for the acquisition of group exercise sequences

Abstract

Despite the health problems associated with a lack of physical activity, most adults in the U.S. do not meet recommended levels. One barrier often cited is lack of relevant skills, and a small number of studies have suggested that instructional forms of self-talk may be an important aspect of skill acquisition in physical activity. The process of joint control may provide a conceptually accurate account of this type of intervention and suggest new applications. Five undergraduate students participated in this study and attended a group exercise class created for this purpose. Following baseline sessions, all participants completed joint control training on a novel exercise sequence and then returned to the group exercise setting. All participants showed a noticeable increase in the accuracy of their movements in the post-training phase and demonstrated continued improvements in the generalization phase. Limitations of covert responses and the contrived setting are discussed.