<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=1465959206967998&amp;ev=PageView&amp;noscript=1">

The advantages of using the dynamic stander Innowalk

Rikke Damkjær Moen - Physiotherapist and Medical Manager
Rikke Damkjær Moen - Physiotherapist and Medical Manager
Back to blog overview
Young girl plays with a water toy while standing in the Innowalk

The ability to move improves your child’s physical health. But it does something more than that: it brings them joy. People and especially children, are made to be active as an important part of their development. We are all made for movement.    

At Made for Movement we are passionate about improving the lives of people with disabilities and helping them to move and participate in regular physical activity. 

Our dynamic, custom-fit movement device, the Innowalk offer children, young people and adults with limited, or no independent mobility, the opportunity to stand and move. The possibility to participate in daily activities and interact with friends and family from an upright standing position, has a huge impact on both mind and body. Feelings of restriction, or limitation and isolation can be replaced by a sense of inclusion and personal accomplishment.

The Innowalk: Power in motion    

Most people take the ability to stand and move for granted. We forget how it is such an important feature of everyday life.  When we’re eye level with our friends and the activities we participate in, it makes us feel a part of the world going on around us.      

Simply standing is also hugely positive for our physical health. The Innowalk is a powerful motorised movement-device that encourages not just standing, but standing and moving at once, so-called ‘dynamic standing’. It allows guided, repetitive movement from an upright position with natural weight-bearing and thus gives a unique opportunity to be in physical activity. 

In just a few minutes, physical activity boosts our metabolism. Various studies into the positive effects of ‘dynamic standing’ have also documented:

  • Increased heart rate and better blood circulation; improved lung capacity 
  • It improves joint flexibility 
  • Improved sleeping patterns leading to better moods 
  • Improves quality of life 

Because the Innowalk safely supports the child’s full weight, there’s no need for them to able to sit, stand or walk independently to enjoy all the benefits it brings. 

Young girl with Rett syndrome stands in her Innowalk while dancing

Freedom to move 

Once children experience its unique form of movement therapy, it’s not uncommon for them to want to use it as much as possible, because they love it so much! 

In a recent survey among our users in the UK Ireland (2022) we found that the majority of the children use the Innowalk for dynamic standing 4 times per week. 

The survey also revealed that parents experience the following with the Innowalk: 

  • The Innowalk helps to improve my child’s motor function 
  • The Innowalk helps to maintain my child’s motor function 
  • The Innowalk positively affects my child’s quality of life 
  • My child enjoys using the Innowalk 

If you want to get an overview of all the results from the survey, you can read more here. 

Young boy stands in his Innowalk

 

When he’s able to stand in the Innowalk, he is so proud at having mastered a new skill.
– Ulrik's father


Four-year-old Ulrik is a little boy who’s determined to enjoy as much freedom as he can. His life changed after introducing the Innowalk into his daily routine. His parents describe their happiness at seeing his world getting bigger:
 

“Ulrik is a happy little boy. He is very curious and loves to be active. When he’s able to stand in the Innowalk, he is so proud at having mastered a new skill. The Innowalk provides him with positive energy, helping to increase his quality of life. He loves being at the same height as the other children around him and getting a normal perspective over things. Ulrik smiles and laughs more. The Innowalk gives him a real zest for life.” 

You can also read about Charlie, a little boy with Cerebral Palsy who enjoys physical activity. 

The Innowalk is easy to use everyday  

Training, support, custom-fitting and user follow-up are all vital parts of our solutions. We understand that assistive technology must fit easily into your lives and be adapted to your child’s surroundings. With this in mind and because the aim for active standing should be for daily activity, we designed the Innowalk to being simple enough to use every day. 

To accommodate the need for adjustment of the device in accordance to child growth, development and changes, we offer an Uptime Service Program. An uptime subscription is entitled to two inclusive growth review visits per year and a yearly inspection of the product.  

Read more about the Uptime Service Program 

How to access the Innowalk 

First, you will need to request for your local Made for Movement product specialist to visit for an assessment for you/your child. We can carry out assessments in home or school/clinic settings and would always ask you to invite your/your child's physiotherapist to attend an assessment where possible. 

The main objectives should be to: 

  • Figure out how the device can solve the challenges your child or you face 
  • See how the device works and how it can support you/your child's development 
  • Discuss your concerns and solutions to specific challenges 

Prior to an assessment, our specialists will ask for some relevant background information to establish what size device and accessories you or your child requires. 

Establish your funding options 

Made for Movement assistive devices may not eligible for provision through local authority funding in the UK and Ireland. However, there are still funding opportunities for assistive devices not available by the National Health Service (NHS). 

These are the typical options for funding: 

Crowdfunding 

The most popular crowdfunding platforms are:  

Charity grants 

Here are a couple of online resources that can point you in the direction of charities who provide grants for equipment not available on the NHS: 

We at Made for Movement also have information on charities who may be open to receiving grant applications for our products. We can provide these following a suitable assessment.  

Case management 

We can liaise with case managers, solicitors and financial deputies in order to provide the information they may need to fund our products for their clients. 

For both charity grants and case management we offer support throughout the application process. We can assist families and professionals with the required supporting documents on the equipment, the benefits and clinical evidence. 

 

Get in touch

 

First published August 17, 2016. Updated 27. March 2023.

Rikke Damkjær Moen - Physiotherapist and Medical Manager
Rikke Damkjær Moen - Physiotherapist and Medical Manager

Rikke Damkjær Moen brings many years of experience as clinical physiotherapist to the Made for Movement team. Her mission is to ensure that everybody, regardless of mobility problems, should be able to experience the joy and health benefits of physical activity. As our Medical Manager, Rikke is passionate about sharing knowledge so that individuals with special needs, families, and clinicians can discover the possibilities and solutions provided by Made for Movement.

Related Posts
Newsletter

Hear from us from time to time and learn new things