How to stop toe walking

Grace Goodfellow, DPT

While many parents search the internet for tips on how to stop toe walking, what they’re really looking for are tips to help their child child overcome toe walking and have their heels make more complete contact with the ground. In this post Haley Norman, DPT discusses the best ways to overcome this issue.

When is Toe Walking a Concern:

Toe walking is a concern when your child is over the age of two and walking on their toes 80% of the time or more. It is also a concern is they cannot stand or walk on their heels. Excessive toe walking can cause a shortened Achilles tendon which could result in a loss of function. IF your child excessivley walks on their toes they could experience:

  • Difficulty going down stairs

  • Impaired balance

  • Frequent tripping

  • Problems with their feet, hips, knees, and back

Toe Walking Exercises:

  • Walking on heels, “duck walking”

  • Climbing up a slide, making sure they keep their heels down

  • Pushing/pulling weighted wagon or box, making sure they keep their feet flat

  • Heel scoots on wheelie boards

  • Balancing on one foot (make it fun with popping bubbles, picking up marbles with toes, balancing a stuffed animal on the top of their foot, etc)

  • Deep squatting play/"frog squats" (stretches muscle that don't cross the knee)

  • standing stretch with knees straight on incline couch or cushion (stretches muscle that crosses the knee)

  • Make stretching fun, play a board game, make a craft, etc…

Walking on toes is a stable position, it allows more joints to be locked out and a kiddo to use their big and powerful calves to stand rather than the tiny muscles around their feet. Although we want kiddos to be able to walk on their toes, doing so a majority of the time can lead to future developmental delays and generalized weakness and tightness in surrounding muscles. If you try these exercises and stretches, but are not observing results, your child might need further assistance. Other options include bracing to help cue child to walk with a heel strike or stretching straps at night for greater range of motion gains.


These are great exercises and stretches to begin with, but remember that every child is different and if you have any pressing concerns, consult a physical therapist! It is important to progress exercises and look at other parts of the body as well to screen for weakness or tightness that occur secondary from toe walking.

References:

Emily Heisey, PT, DPT [@kinactive_kids]. Toe walking. Instagram.

KC Rickerd, PT, DPT [@milestones.and.motherhood]. Toe Walking. Instagram

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