The Incline Ramp is a versatile piece of equipment that can be used from an early age and adapted as a child grows. It is a great option for home, school, and therapy gym settings, and is one of our favorite tools in the Pediatric PT toolbox.
Incline Ramps can be used to support tummy time, crawling, climbing, and walking. They are also helpful for addressing balance, coordination, strength, and motor planning. Additionally, incline ramps can be incorporated into treatment for toe walking and flat feet.
1. Tummy Time
The Incline Ramp is a great option for practicing tummy time. The soft, padded surface provides graded assistance against gravity, helping children push up on their hands or forearms while supporting head and neck extension.
As children grow, tummy time continues to be an important activity. The Incline Ramp allows for added challenge by encouraging increased trunk and upper body engagement during play.
The ramp can also be used to support quadruped positioning (on hands and knees), promoting both upper and lower extremity weight bearing and preparing for crawling.
2. Ramp Walks
Walking up and down the Incline Ramp is a great way to target strength, balance, coordination, and motor planning. Incorporating the ramp into an obstacle course can further increase engagement and challenge. This activity also supports activation of the intrinsic muscles of the foot, making it a helpful tool when addressing flat feet.
Stepping on and off the edge of the ramp is a great precursor to stair negotiation. This allows children to practice controlled step up and step down movements while building concentric and eccentric lower extremity strength. Using visual cues, such as colored spots, can help guide foot placement and improve coordination.
3. Dynamic Balance
The Incline Ramp provides excellent opportunities to work on dynamic balance in both sitting and standing. When sitting on the ramp, children must adjust their center of gravity and engage their trunk musculature to maintain balance while interacting with toys or activities.
In standing, the Incline Ramp offers a balance challenge while also providing an opportunity for gentle stretching of the calf and hamstring muscles.
Maintaining standing at the top of the ramp while engaging in an upper body activity, such as working at the chalk board easel, encourages postural control, lower extremity activation, and intrinsic foot muscle engagement.
4. Ball Ramp Bowling
Ball Ramp Bowling is a fun and engaging way to incorporate full body coordination. Encourage your child to push a therapy ball up the ramp to knock down targets such as cones or pins. This activity targets upper and lower body strength, coordination, and motor planning.
5. Incline Ramp Sit Ups
The Incline Ramp can be used to support trunk strengthening through modified sit ups. With the child positioned on the ramp, use motivating toys such as bubbles or preferred objects to encourage reaching and active participation.
Positioning can be adjusted to modify the level of challenge. When the child’s head is elevated, the movement is more supported. When the feet are elevated, the activity becomes more challenging and requires increased trunk activation.
The Incline Ramp is a simple yet highly adaptable tool that can grow with your child. Whether you are working on early motor milestones or higher level strength and balance, it can be easily incorporated into play to support confidence, coordination, and overall movement development.
For more activity ideas check out Five Fun Activities with Dyna Discs!
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