Happy National Physical Therapy Month! Every year when the month of October rolls around, physical therapists around the country celebrate the ever-growing profession. In addition, they promote the Move Forward Campaign. The focus is always to get people moving more and leading an active lifestyle. The information can be helpful for people of all ages and is focused on assisting people to incorporate health and wellness strategies into their lives. For more information on what physical therapists do, how they may be able to help you or a friend or family member, and for more on the Move Forward Campaign you can follow this
link.
There are so many tips on how to get moving. While many of these tips are geared towards an older population, there are definitely some that can be adapted for the pediatric population. We wanted to remind you of a few and how they can be implemented in a child's lifestyle as they continue to grow and explore their environments!
Tip # 1: Use the stairs instead of the elevator whenever possible.
-Stairs are a great way for children to build the strength in their legs. Often times, children begin walking up the stairs using a step-to pattern, placing both feet on each step before climbing to the next one. As their coordination and strength improve, they begin to use a step-over-step pattern, placing one foot on each step. As their stability and confidence improve, they will begin to attempt without a hand railing or without asking to hold an adults hand. When at the park, encourage your children to use the stairs on the play-structure. Or when out in the community, encourage your children to step up/down the curb rather than walking up the ramp!
Tip #2: Exercise during a favorite TV show (or at least the commercials!)
-The TV or other forms of technology such as iPhones, iPads or the Wii, serve as great motivators for children in this ever-advancing technological society. If you're having trouble getting your child to complete activities at home that have been recommended as part of a home exercise program, technology can be a wonderful tool. One strategy is to make a list of activities that you'd like the child to complete. While watching a favorite TV show, encourage your child to complete one activity at each commercial break. Once completed, they can either place a sticker next to the activity or check it off. The same can be used with an iPad application or video game that they enjoy; each time they complete an activity then can play with the application as a reward!
Tip #3: Walk as much as you can. Remember an object in motion stays in motion.
-This tip serves as a reminder that the more a child practices a skill, the easier it becomes. This is especially important when a child is learning to walk. When an infant first begins to stand, they demonstrate a high guard posturing, where their
shoulders are rotated outwards with their elbows bent. Children often use this strategy as an attempt to decrease the degrees of freedom that are involved in the complex skill of walking so there are fewer components to think about. With practice, the children learn to release these degrees of freedom, allowing them to demonstrate improvements in the skill. As the saying goes, "practice makes perfect" and this couldn't be more true when a child is learning to walk.
We hope you will join us in celebrating National Physical Therapy Month during the remainder of October by being active and taking the time to learn a little more about PT.
