Gait Training Exercises: A Paediatric Physiotherapist’s Guide
Walking is one of the most significant motor milestones for children, offering them greater independence and mobility. For children with cerebral palsy (CP) and other mobility challenges, gait training exercises play a crucial role in developing strength, balance, and coordination needed for walking. If you’re looking for expert guidance on cerebral palsy gait training, gait therapy, or paediatric gait training exercises, this guide shares effective strategies used by NAPA paediatric physiotherapists to support gait development.
What is Gait Therapy?
Gait is the way a person walks or runs. Gait therapy, or gait training physiotherapy, focuses on improving a person’s ability to walk through targeted exercises and assistive strategies. It addresses various factors impacting gait, including:
- Range of motion and posture
- Muscle strength and endurance
- Balance and coordination
With the right approach, gait training exercises can help children with cerebral palsy and other mobility impairments improve their walking ability and confidence.
Top 5 Gait Training Exercises Used in Paediatric Physiotherapy
1. Tall Kneeling
Why it works:
- This position eliminates the use of two joints (knees and ankles) but focuses on activating and strengthening important pelvic stabilizers (GLUTES!!) that are needed for balance when walking, while eliminating compensatory movements like knee hyperextension.
How to do it:
- Start with support (e.g., a table or couch) for your child to lean on.
- If leaning on a table or couch is too easy, but hands-free is too difficult, try having them play with magnets on the fridge or touch a wall so they can still use their hands without leaning over a horizontal surface.
- To increase difficulty, incorporate reaching movements to help with balance for weight shifting.
BONUS: View our related Instagram reel below for a visual and more info on why we love tall kneeling!
2. Tall Kneel Walking
Why it works:
- Helps develop independent mobility while training the muscles and posture needed for walking, including the balance required for weight shifting.
How to do it:
- Support your child’s alignment to prevent overuse of the quads.
- Encourage movement with hands-on assistance, push toys, or eventually hands-free walking.
- Try side-stepping along a couch or wall for additional gait strengthening.
3. Tandem Standing
This simply means one foot is placed in front of the other; this will work on balance when both feet are not next to each other, which is how our feet are positioned when both are on the ground during gait.
Why it works:
- Mimics natural gait positioning, helping with stability and control when stopping and starting to step.
How to do it:
- Position one foot in front of the other, starting with a wider stance for more stability.
- Gradually narrow the stance.
- To make this exercise more challenging, encourage weight shifting by having your child reach for objects, shift forward and back, left to right onto each foot, and also have them catch and throw toys to work on holding their balance as their body responds to subtle movements.
4. Practice Standing on One Leg
Why it works:
- As your foot swings to take a step, your standing leg needs to be stable and supportive throughout this movement.
How to do it:
- Start by placing one foot on a raised surface (step or box) for partial support, but the majority of their weight is on one leg (the one on the floor).
- Increase difficulty by increasing the height of the raised service or using a dynamic surface, such as a soccer ball. Making shapes or letters with their raised foot on a ball, or freely in the air adds to the level of difficulty.
5. Treadmill Gait Training
Among other gait training exercises, NAPA physiotherapists incorporate gait treadmill training at times in both our intensive therapy and weekly therapy sessions utilizing the SpiderCage, a body weight support system.
Keep in mind safety is #1; make sure your child is supported as much as they need (but not too much!)
About NAPA Centre
NAPA Centre is a world-renowned paediatric therapy clinic committed to helping children reach their highest potential through individualised intensive therapy programs and weekly therapy sessions for families local to our clinics. If your child needs our services, we will work closely with you to select the best therapies for them, creating a customized program specific to your child’s needs and your family’s goals.
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Meet the Author
Lindsey is a passionate paediatric physiotherapist who has been with NAPA Centre since 2018. Now part of the Chicago team, she specializes in NeuroDevelopment Treatment, KinesioTaping, CME, and DMI. Known for her friendly and encouraging approach, she is also a certified yogi who strongly believes in mind/body connection in helping children reach their highest potential. Outside of work, Lindsey enjoys yoga, swimming, and spending time by the water.
