Toe Walker? Build Ankle Control with One-Foot Hopping 👦🏾 | Toe Walking Pediatric PT #43

🎯 Hopping Forward on One Foot | Advanced Control for Toe Walking 🎯🦶🏾 Pediatric Physical Therapy | Mykael #43 👋🏾 Meet Mykael Mykael is an 8-year-old child with persistent toe walking. His toe walking increases when he is tired, anxious, sick, or emotionally dysregulated. He walks more on his toes when barefoot or in less supportive shoes, and less when wearing supportive athletic shoes 👟🦶🏽. Toe walking runs in Mykael’s family — his grandfather, uncle, and father are also toe walkers. Hinged plantarflexion-stop orthotics had been recommended by his therapist; at this visit, his family shared that he has not been wearing them. 🦶🏾 What We’re Working On In this session, Mykael practices hopping forward on one foot while keeping the heel down after landing. In physical therapy terminology: Jump = two feet Hop = one foot The goal is not simply moving forward — it’s landing with control and alignment: heels lowering after landing shin moving forward over the foot balance on one leg stable ankle control holding the landing for three seconds 🟦 The Setup We place carpet squares on the floor at increasing distances: approximately 6 inches about 12 inches about 18 inches a little more than 2 feet Mykael hops forward from one carpet square to the next. At each landing he must: 🫵🏾 Lower the heel 🫵🏾 Balance on one foot 🫵🏾 Hold the position for three seconds The first round is practiced with handheld assistance, then he repeats the challenge independently. 👀 What You’ll Notice Watch closely as Mykael lands: the shin moves forward over the foot the ankle must control forward motion the heel lowers to the ground balance stabilizes after the hop This forward movement of the shin (called tibial progression) is an important piece of normal walking and running mechanics. 🧠 Why This Helps Toe Walking Children who toe walk often avoid letting the shin move forward over the foot. Hopping forward requires: strong ankle control balance on one leg controlled forward tibial movement the ability to lower the heel after landing These skills support more stable, heel-down walking patterns. 🏡 Ideas for Home Practice You can try a similar activity using: carpet squares paper plates floor dots or tape marks sidewalk chalk outside Start with short distances and increase gradually as your child gains control. Focus on: soft landings heels lowering after landing holding balance briefly before the next hop 🕒 Timestamps (Chapters) 0:00 – Intro to Amy and Mykael 0:20 – Explanation of the hopping challenge 0:40 – Hopping with handheld assistance 1:05 – Heel-down landing hold 1:20 – Independent hopping attempt 1:40 – Longest hop challenge 1:55 – Why this activity helps toe walkers 2:05 – Wrap-up (Please adjust timestamps after upload.) 🦶🏾 Toe Walking Video Series (Mykael) This video is part of an ongoing pediatric physical therapy series addressing toe walking through: balance strength motor control functional movement 🔗 Watch the full Mykael toe walking series here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAkJbMrHyKjP470frDXaGDv2XrtEqPEUx 📚 Books by Amy Sturkey Children’s Educational Books: “A is for Autism” → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071F4FFTB “D is for Down Syndrome” → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079P8HH49 “C is for Cerebral Palsy” → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088TSJCYP “A is for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder” → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QH9H5HR “A is for Anxiety” → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09LXQ3W6V “P is for Poop and Pee Accidents” → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BLSRJ483 Professional Pediatric Physical Therapy Books: “Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises for the Hips” → https://www.amazon.com/dp/0998156736 “Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises for the Knees” → https://www.amazon.com/dp/0998156760 “Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises for the Ankles” → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TX2ZCFD 🌍 Captions & Translations Subtitles are available and can be auto-translated into many languages 🌍👧🏽👦🏿👩🏾‍🦱👨🏽‍🦱