Simply, Gait is the way of walking. Gait training exercises help people to improve their walking. Gait training exercises are performed under the guidance of Physiotherapists or Physical therapists. This set of training and exercise is required when a person is suffering from a lower extremity injury or had undergone surgery or any medical conditions that have affected their walking ability.

These gait exercises are improving the walking pattern, standing posture, muscle strength, and muscle memory. Walking or standing can be affected due to some underlying diseases or any traumatic injury. Generally, the major causes are stroke, brain injuries, muscular dystrophy, joint replacements, joint injuries, fractured pelvis, fractured legs, neurological disorders, spinal cord injuries, or any other underlying health conditions. However, irrespective of the medical condition from which a person is suffering, gait training helps them effectively to regain their walking and standing posture.

How to perform Gait training exercises?

There are numerous methods of exercise for gait training. Almost all of the exercises in gait training are simple and safe. Still, one needs to consult a medical practitioner/doctor before using any set of exercises for the treatment. Generally, doctors will prescribe the set of exercises after examining the full medical conditions of the affected person. Physiotherapists can also recommend the exercises but they always insist to consult a doctor first so that they can provide the best and error-free treatment to the patient. However, doctors may prescribe the only consultation with the physical therapist and let them decide the best treatment plan for the affected person.

The physical therapists (physiotherapists) examine the complete medical history of the affected person before sketching the treatment plan for them.  The treatment also includes the use of assistive walking devices like crutches, standard cane, quad cane, standard walker, wheeled walker, lofstrand crutches, etc. for the persons who had lost their walking ability due to lower extremity injury or surgical procedures. The use of assistive devices can be temporary or permanent depending purely on the medical condition of the affected person. The set of gait exercises will be prescribed according to the medical conditions and use of assistive devices. Here we are going to discuss a few of those gait training exercises.

Obstacles Gait exercises

This is one of the smoothest methods to improve the gait and standing posture of the affected person. Obstacles gait exercises are repetitive stepping exercises (over obstacles or hurdles). These sets of exercises make the movement (flexibility) in hips and improve the bending of the knees. When your physical therapist believes that you have attained the motion in forwarding obstacles stepping, then they will ask you to perform side-stepping gait exercises. This also helps in improving the movement of hip joints.

Retro/Backward Walking

Retro/Backward walking is the most beneficial form of gait training. Retro or backward walking provides more improvement than forward walking. This is much more helpful in improving the gait of the affected person. This helps in improving the quadriceps activation, balance & coordination, hamstring flexibility, walking speed, step length, and stride length effectively. Backward walking triggers the neuromuscular system to rest the walking and standing posture of the affected person. Backward walking is toe to heel function (opposite of forward walking).

Balance Gait exercises

The primary requirement for walking is correct standing posture. If a person is able to stand properly, then he will not able to walk in the proper manner. Near to half of the walking requires standing on one foot only. So this makes sense that before the walking, balance gait exercises must be performed on the affected persons. Balance Gait exercises improve the balance and coordination of the body. The set of exercises includes single-leg stance, tandem standing, tandem walking, single-leg stance on unsteady surfaces, etc.

Gait Training Exercises at SBS Rehabilitation Center, Hauz Khas

Gait is an important function of our body. Life without proper walking is difficult. We at SBS Rehabilitation understand this fact very well. The trained professionals and physical therapists at our center have years of experience in Gait training exercises. Our trained experts help affected person in improving their gait, strengthening weak muscles and joints, generating muscle memory, decreasing the risk of fall, adapting to higher muscle endurance, and increased mobility of the body. To support the treatment plans, we have equipped our center with highly advanced machinery for exercises. This intense effort makes us unique and the best gait training exercise center in Hauz Khas.

SBS Rehabilitation center is readily improving the walking issues through our smoothest and best Gait training exercises program. To book an appointment for Best Gait training exercises with our expert physiotherapists, call us at 9810098054 or 011-41612299.