Exercises to Improve Your Gait and Mobility
As a type of physical therapy, gait training is designed to regain or improve your ability to be mobile. Your gait is your way of walking. Gait training is different for someone recovering from a musculoskeletal disorder than for someone who recently had a stroke. Gait training is used to improve mobility in those that have had neurological disorders, brain injuries, amputations, and broken limbs or amputations to people wanting to improve their running performance.
During gait training, bodyweight support systems and stabilizers can be used in conjunction with muscle and endurance building exercises to develop or retrain muscle memory. Depending on the condition or point of recovery for the person involved in gait training, here are some exercises commonly used to improve your gait and overall mobility.
Walking on a treadmill
Seemingly simple, after an injury, walking on the treadmill isn’t always the easiest task. Most physical therapists will start those with ample leg mobility on the treadmill at a comfortable pace. This helps to align your gait in a way that can be strengthened for other exercises and activities in daily life. For those with limited mobility, you may use a harness while on the treadmill to lift your body until you’re able to walk with little to no assistance.
Standing up and sitting down
Routinely getting up from the sitting position and then sitting down from the standing position helps strengthen muscles and improve posture. Muscle memory needs to be relearned after illness or injury, and this task is crucial to being mobile daily.
Stepping over objects
Mobility is not just being able to bend at the knee and move forward and backward. Proper posture and adequate muscle mass propel your body over objects on the floor, and stepping quickly out of the way of something are crucial in gait training. Stepping over objects and training your body to redo this naturally will lower the risk of falling, improve posture and balance, and retrain the body for proper movement.
Lifting legs
As an alternative to situps, leg lifts are a great way to improve core strength and put much less stress on your vertebrae. Whether you are recovering from a spinal cord injury or other condition, getting the ability to walk and lift your legs back will positively improve your mobility. The muscles used in leg lifts are substantial for spinal and full-body health.
Standing on one leg
Core strength, balance, and muscle memory are all at play when practicing to stand on one leg. Start using a chair or table to balance yourself and slowly move to unassisted one-legged stands—alternate legs after holding for a few seconds. Repeat as necessary.
Some other exercises often used for gait training include: heel and toe raises, seated marches, and knee raises. We suggest if you’re recently recovering from an injury or condition that has impacted your gait, consult a licensed professional regarding the proper support and exercise techniques needed. Relearning to or improving how you walk is incredibly taxing on the body and the mind. Remember, help isn’t far, and finding the right people to support and push you to your full capabilities can be achieved through consistent physical therapy, planning, and a positive outlook!
If you are looking for occupational or physical therapy, vestibular rehab, wheelchair training, learning to walk, unweighting aquatic therapy, or other services in the Phoenix area, please call Touchstone Rehabilitation at 602-277-1073.