Walking

Walking exercises for children who crawl on all fours, including children who already walk with support but don’t walk on their own yet. The program contains easy best-practice exercises that strengthen the body for strong, steady walking, and my best tips on how your child can find the courage to take those first steps without holding on. The exercises can be used both as cosy everyday play inspiration and in cases of motor delay.

Prioritized, simple exercises
Designed for busy families
Illustrated with pictures & videos
Instant & perpetual access
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Available languages

~~299,00 DKK~~ 269,10 DKK

(inclusive of all taxes, VAT and fees)

– 10%

Happy baby in a diaper taking steps without support, arms out to the sides. Walking exercises as your baby learns to walk.

Program description

For a baby, walking on their own two feet without holding on to anything or anyone, taking those first steps is a big milestone, because it greatly increases your child’s independence. But we shouldn’t rush toward walking by training only the muscles it takes to walk straight ahead. If we do, the body misses out on important strengthening of the core muscles, which matter a great deal for good body stability later in life.

That’s why I’ve created an exercise program leading up to walking that focuses on exactly these muscles and movement patterns, so your child’s path to walking is supported with the best possible quality of movement. The exercises are not a shortcut, but a way to help your child strengthen the muscles it takes to use their body in a varied and stable way in an upright position.

This program contains best-practice home exercises to help your child move on toward steady walking with good rotational movements, meaning the body’s twisting movements. The exercises strengthen the relevant muscles around the tummy and back (core), hips, knees and ankles, and stimulate balance and ankle stability. You also get my best tips on helping your child find that last bit of courage to let go and walk without holding on. The exercises can be used both as general play inspiration and when your child needs more targeted motor support.

The exercises are described in detail and set out in order of priority, so the most important exercises are at the top. Each exercise comes with both pictures and videos, so you can clearly see how to do it.

Note: If your child is still belly crawling and isn’t crawling on all fours yet, choose the program Crawling on All Fours instead or, if your child’s belly crawl is asymmetrical, Asymmetrical Belly Crawling.

This program is one of two programs in the category Walking. Both can be used once your child is crawling, whether on all fours, with one foot planted on the floor (Tarzan crawling) or sitting on their bottom (bottom scooting). Read about the differences here in the program overview. You’ll find answers to frequently asked questions below, and if you’re still unsure which program is the right one for your child, you’re very welcome to send an email to maria@develobaby.com.

Frequently asked questions about Walking

Ideally, a child should be walking independently by 18 months. If not, the official recommendation is to have the child assessed so the cause can be identified, and then to give them physical therapy to help them move forward.
However, I recommend not waiting that long to support your child. If a child has a motor delay (see baby milestones), you can always support their motor development, and it’s both fun and easy.

With targeted exercises that strengthen the muscles your child uses to stand and walk steadily, and that also stimulate balance. This applies especially to the muscles around the tummy and back (core), hips, knees and ankles, and not least the glute muscles on the sides of the hips. The body’s twisting movements matter too, because they give stability when your child stands and walks. Walking is also very much about courage, so in the program you also get my best tips on how your child can find the courage to let go and take those first steps without support. I’ve set out the exercises in order of priority, so the most important exercises are at the top, and you can do them as part of all the little things you already do with your child during the day.

For the vast majority of children, a baby walker is completely unnecessary. In a baby walker, your child skips important rotation training, meaning the body’s twisting movements, which help build good core strength and therefore better stability when standing and walking. Using a baby walker is of course not harmful at all, but I clearly prefer to focus instead on your child building core strength, glute strength (especially on the sides of the hips), balance and technique, rather than rushing toward walking straight ahead in a baby walker. Many children do this entirely on their own, but you can also choose to help your child along with the exercises in this program, all of which support natural development. In my experience, children who don’t get a baby walker, and strengthen their body this way instead, often develop a good-quality walk and are therefore more sure-footed.

The exception is babies with low muscle tone who are very delayed in walking and find it hard to crack the code. For them, I could easily see myself suggesting a baby walker to give them that last bit of courage, because walking is also very much about courage.

The program is for children who can crawl forward on all fours with hands and knees on the floor, including children who already walk with support. If your child is still belly crawling and isn’t crawling on all fours yet, I recommend starting with the program Crawling on All Fours or, if your child’s belly crawl is asymmetrical, Asymmetrical Belly Crawling. That’s because crawling on all fours lays a good foundation for strong walking.

Both programs aim to help your child walk confidently and steadily, and both can be used once your child is crawling. Choose Walking if your child crawls on all fours with hands and knees on the floor, and Tarzan Crawling and Bottom Scooting if your child crawls with one foot planted on the floor (Tarzan crawling) or gets around sitting on their bottom (bottom scooting).

If your child does something in between Tarzan crawling and bottom scooting, choose Tarzan Crawling and Bottom Scooting in that case too. That program covers both crawling styles, and it also includes all the exercises from Walking.

As a rule, no. The programs overlap a great deal, since they both have the same goal: strong, steady walking. The program Tarzan Crawling and Bottom Scooting contains the same exercises as Walking, plus substantial additions and variations focused on Tarzan crawling and bottom scooting. So as a rule, choose only one program in this category for the same child.

Frequently asked questions about the exercise programs

You buy access to the program right here on the site. Once your payment has gone through, you’ll see an extra heading in the menu called “My Programs,” with links to all the programs you’ve bought access to. The whole thing takes less than 60 seconds.

No. You get online access to my programs here on the site, because the programs contain video clips, which of course can’t be played on paper or in a PDF. That’s also why there is no version you can download or have sent to you. You can actually print the programs you’ve bought from a computer, though, by pressing Ctrl+P on Windows or Command+P on macOS while you’re on the program page. The programs aren’t set up for printing, however, so they look much nicer and are easier to use directly on your phone, tablet or computer.

You have lifetime access. Once you’ve bought a program, you can always log in and use it again whenever you need it, without having to renew or pay for access.

No, that isn’t allowed. You buy access for yourself and the people who live in your household. If you buy as a grandparent, for example, you may of course share it with the person you bought it for. If you are the director of a daycare center, for example, and would like to buy one or more programs for your staff, just email me at maria@develobaby.com so we can work out an arrangement for multiple licenses. Read more in my Terms and Conditions.

As a rule, no. The exercise programs are digital products that you get access to right away, so the usual 14-day right of withdrawal doesn’t apply to them. If you bought the wrong program by mistake, or something else doesn’t fit your situation, just write to me at maria@develobaby.com. Then of course we’ll find a solution together. You can read more in my Terms and Conditions.

Unfortunately, I see this from time to time: the card issuer, that is, your bank, blocks the payment because it goes to Denmark, especially if you don’t usually shop in other countries or only do so rarely. In that case, there’s not much I can do. You can call your bank and ask them to authorize the payment manually. Or you can try one of the other payment methods at checkout, for example Apple Pay or Google Pay.

Yes, I’ve taken great care to explain every exercise in plain language so everyone can understand it. The exercises also come with pictures and videos where you can see them done with a real child.

As a rule, no. The exercises in my motor programs are ordinary strengthening exercises in the anatomically normal muscle pattern, and the exercises in my sleep and sensory programs are calm exercises that stimulate the senses. If your child gets tired or upset, take a break, and if you are unsure about your child’s health, talk to your healthcare provider or doctor.

No! In my exercise programs, I’ve put the exercises in order of priority. There are lots of exercises in each program, so in principle you could spend the whole day doing exercises if you enjoy it, but you can also choose to do, say, the top three or five, which are the most important ones, if you’re short on time. That way, the exercise programs are for everyone, no matter how much time and energy you have.

The exercises in my motor development programs are basically strength training, just like when you do exercises yourself to get stronger. They are designed so the child strengthens the muscles that matter at exactly the stage you bought the exercises for. That’s why they help make the child stronger on the way to the next milestone. Whether the child gets good-quality movement patterns at the next milestone with the exercises in the program naturally depends on how strong the muscles are to begin with, and on whether there are special circumstances that call for a more individually tailored approach. These could be, for example, congenital disabilities or neurological injuries. But helping your child toward a stronger body is never wasted effort.

Related programs

Note: when purchasing two or more programs, a 10% discount is automatically applied. ❤

Belly Crawling
Exercises for belly crawling in babies who can roll from back to tummy but don’t yet move forward on their tummy. The program contains simple best-practice exercises that support your baby on the way to strong belly crawling using both sides of the body. The exercises strengthen the motor foundation for the next milestones and can be used both as cozy everyday play ideas and in cases of motor delay.
Sensory Integration
Sensory integration exercises for kids from 2 years to around 12 years who are sensory seeking and need a lot of sensory stimulation, or who are sensory avoiding and easily overwhelmed by loud noises, touch, or clothing. The program contains a wide range of practical sensory-stimulating exercises, plus sensorimotor games and activities that are easy to do at home.
Tummy Time
Tummy time and rolling exercises for babies from 4 weeks, as cozy everyday play ideas and in cases of mild motor delay. The program contains simple best-practice exercises that strengthen the muscles your baby needs to lie comfortably on their tummy and to roll.
Crawling on All Fours
Exercises for crawling on all fours for babies who belly crawl, either with ordinary cross-pattern belly crawling or with midline belly crawling. The program contains easy best-practice exercises that strengthen both sides of the body equally and support your baby on the way from belly crawling to crawling. The exercises can be used both as cosy everyday play inspiration and in cases of motor delay.
DeveloBaby Sleep
Exercises for babies and very young children from 4 weeks up to 2 years with motor restlessness or other sensory-seeking behavior that makes it hard to settle, give in to sleep, or stay asleep. You get a wide range of practical, regulating sensory exercises that are easy to fit into a busy daily routine, plus best-practice knowledge about baby sleep.
Back Arching and Flat Head
Tummy time and rolling exercises for babies from 4 weeks, with a special focus and important additions for back arching, a flat head and the skydiver position. The program contains simple best-practice exercises that strengthen the muscles your baby needs to lie comfortably on their tummy and to roll.
Asymmetrical Belly Crawling
Crawling exercises with a special focus and important additions for babies with asymmetrical belly crawling, meaning they belly crawl with only one leg and the opposite arm, while the other leg barely joins in. The program contains easy best-practice exercises that strengthen the weaker side and coordination, so the body can become more symmetrically strong on the way to crawling.
Preferred Side and Flat Head
Tummy time and rolling exercises for babies from 4 weeks, with a special focus and important additions for a preferred side, a flat head on one side and a banana shape. The program contains simple best-practice exercises that strengthen the muscles your baby needs to lie comfortably on their tummy and to roll.
Tarzan Crawling and Bottom Scooting
Walking exercises with a special focus and substantial additions for children who crawl with one foot planted on the floor (Tarzan crawling) or get around sitting on their bottom (bottom scooting), and who don’t walk without support yet. The program contains easy best-practice exercises that strengthen both sides of the body and the rotation muscles, so the body can become more symmetrically strong on the way to steady walking.