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The benefits from using a gait trainer are significant!  Unfortunately the medical conditions for many children and young adults are such that they spend a tremendous amount of time in a wheel chair.  They need to get out of their chair and upright interacting with their peers and environment as much as possible.

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Physical benefits:

Our bodies were not designed to work without significant periods of standing and walking activities.  Standing and walking helps in our digestion as well as circulation of our blood through our bodies.  Development of proper bone structure in the legs and feet are directly tied to weight bearing activities.  There are many studies available showing the benefits of standing weight bearing and walking for those children who are typically in a wheel chair.

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Developmental and emotional benefits:

Much or our development and learning is tied to movement.  Crawling, pulling up and walking all play a big part in the development of sight, spatial awareness, self confidence among a variety of other critical developmental areas for children.  Children who don’t have the ability to stand and move on their own are at a disadvantage developmentally and can see slower mental and physical developmental progress.  A gait trainer will give these children an environment to move about and explore their world aiding in their mental and social development.