Blogs

Written by
Mellinda Clarke
Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPhty)
Astris PME Clinical Educator

In 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) updated its guidelines for physical activity, highlighting the health impacts of sedentary behaviour. These guidelines were designed for children, adolescents, adults, and older adults. For the first time, they included specific recommendations for physical activity for people of all ages living with chronic conditions or disabilities, emphasising that the health benefits generally outweigh any risks.

According to the WHO:

“Children and adolescents living with disability should do at least an average of 60 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity, mostly aerobic, across the week.” Additionally, they “should limit the amount of time spent being sedentary, particularly the amount of recreational screen time.” ​

Furthermore, “Adults living with a disability should do at least 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity per week”, along with “muscle-strengthening activities at moderate or greater intensity that involve all major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week.”

Given that physical activity will look different for each person, how can we support individuals of all ages to meet these guidelines?

One effective way is through supported gait. Supported gait is beneficial for most ages and abilities. For those with significant physical disabilities, simply standing upright and engaging in supported gait can trigger the physiological responses associated with moderate-intensity physical activity. Moreover, this exercise can be seamlessly incorporated into daily activities, enhancing mobility and improving quality of life – we feel better when we get to be upright and moving.

Implementing supported gait training at home, school, and other environments can be challenging for therapists and families. Key considerations include:

• Setting Goals: Establish gait trainer use goals based on the client’s “age and stage”. Various gait trainers and accessories are available to provide the appropriate level of support.
• Assessing Support Needs: Evaluate support needs across all environments, including input from family and other support people. Support requirements may vary between indoor and outdoor settings and across different terrains. Don’t forget transfer types, strategies and skills either.
• Accommodating Changing Needs: Consider both daily and long-term changes in support needs. An easily adjustable gait trainer is often the best choice for frequent adjustments.
• Transport Requirements: Determine if the gait trainer needs to be portable. Choose features that ensure the gait trainer provides the necessary support while being easy to transport or decide if different solutions are required for varying environments.
• Regular Reviews: Continuously review the user’s needs to ensure the gait trainer remains suitable. We all change, so just because you find the ‘perfect’ solution one day doesn’t mean it will remain suitable. This may only mean an adjustment of physical supports or type of support accessory, but never underestimate the influence of these parameters on successful gait trainer use.

And the final word from WHO, “Even some activity is better than none”, so let’s make it happen.

The team at Astris PME, with their wealth of knowledge and extensive range of gait trainers, is always ready to assist. Contact Astris PME via email at clients@astris-pme.com.au or call 1300 131 884.