Written by Mike Price, OT
We all want our children to lead happy, healthy, productive lives. There are two areas that we can focus on, to make the greatest impact on our child’s health - exercise and nutrition.
Exercise is just as crucial for their health and development as proper nutrition - it has been scientifically proven to aid your child’s quality of life, and to prolong their life. But as every parent knows, kids won’t embrace activities or exercises that are not fun!
When it comes to exercise gear, how do you know which is the most fun and effective for your kid? Our Top 5 Pediatric Exercise Equipment Review will analyze and compare the features, cost and certified user reviews of the best and most versatile equipment, so that you can make the choice that is right for your child.
CDC studies indicate than less than 3 out of 10 youths meet the physical activity guidelines. A few of the benefits of daily exercise for children and adolescents:
The bottom line is that it is our job to provide opportunities to move and incorporate exercise into our child’s daily activities – above all, we need to make it fun!
Our Top 5 Pediatric Exercise Equipment Review has evaluated the features and benefits, cost, versatility, functionality, ease of use, and customer reviews of more than 80 excellent options to provide you with the information you need to select the best exercise equipment for your child.
Gross motor skills are big movements, like rolling, crawling, running, and bouncing. From infant to adult, our gross motor skills are essential for daily living. Our number five pediatric exercise equipment is the Jump and Play Island Balance Gross Motor Pediatric Therapy Equipment therapy apparatus.
This awesome gear is specifically designed and built to support the gross motor skills of special needs kids. The Jump and Play Island is appropriate for all children – but particularly children with sensory dysfunction. Many physical and occupational therapists recommend this equipment for patients who have neurodevelopmental issues.
The Jump and Play is thoughtfully designed to be fun and engaging – to help little ones get their wiggles out while strengthening their vestibular, sensory, and gross motor skills. It provides weight resistance and early intervention physical therapy for spatial awareness, balance, and body maneuverability.
A mom in Long Island City, NY, said that her son’s physical therapist recommended the Jump and Play Island. It has, his mother said, revolutionized his exercise routine. His balance has improved immensely and, unlike his normal physical therapy regimen, he has so much fun, and he does not dread the rehabilitation.
The weight capacity for the Jump and Play is 350 pounds, so children can use it individually or for group exercise and therapy. The inflated tube is six feet long, so up to four children can comfortably jump and bounce at the same time.
This exercise equipment is a mid-priced option. It is recommended for indoor play only.
A therapist in San Diego said that she purchased the Jump and Play for her patients who suffer from sensory processing disorders. She said that it is a wonderful tool for sensory integration – the kids are just having fun and do not realize that they are building on their gross motor skills and their social skills.
A mom who teaches special needs kids said that she recently learned that her son suffers from sensory awareness issues. Her first clue was that he was not capable of hugging her, he would push his head into her, but not hug. He could not wrestle with other boys without hurting them, he chewed obsessively on his pencils.
She researched proprioceptive input and her son’s lack of connected body awareness and movement. She discovered, with the help of a therapist, that his brain is over-responsive – he cannot gauge a reasonable level of activity, like pushing, pulling, and grabbing.
After his therapist recommended trampoline-type exercise, she found the Jump and Play Island. It has made a huge difference in her son’s life – her favorite part is that he now wants to hug and cuddle with her. His relationships have improved, and he can play with other children on the Jump and Play without hurting them.
A certified user who has a background in physical therapy said that the Jump and Play Island is a great product. He rated it five stars. He reports that it can be used with all levels of ability and function. This therapist is currently working with the Parent Teacher Association at his child’s school. They have provided three Jump and Plays’ and say that all three get plenty of use. They recommend getting the optional accessory, a spare tube, as they can puncture - but say that the equipment is well worth the price.
The KIDS Total Body Exercise Cycle is next on our list, and provides a tool for children to develop their ambulatory skills and improve their gait, while also providing an upper body workout to improve their arm strength. Made from sturdy, easily cleaned materials this versatile piece of equipment can aid in both therapy or simply help along natural muscle development, making it very popular across a variety of users.
Built similar to a full sized stationary bicycle, the legs include lightweight pedals to reduce resistance and provide an appropriate workout without risk of over exerting a child. Where it differs from a typical stationary bike are the top rungs. Where normally you would have simple handlebars to hold onto, the Total Body Cycle instead features a set of rotating pedals. This lets you cycle with your legs while also working your arms by rotating them constantly during exercise. Naturally, these top handles also feature low resistance to avoid discomfort or over exertion.
Made from sturdy metal and plastic components, the cycle is dyed bright, eye-catching colors to make it more engaging for children using it. It also features built-in caster wheels at the base, making it easy to move or adjust to fit a space as needed. To better facilitate its use and effectiveness it also includes a built in computer to track time worked out and the distance a user has pedaled.
And of course it can be used as just a cycle by locking the upper handles, or as a standing upper body workout if you choose to not use the foot pedals.
From top to bottom this piece of equipment can provide a wide range of benefits to a child, from the cardio it provides to the muscle building they receive in key areas needed for motion throughout life.
One customer purchased a pair of cycles for their pediatric office in a hospital and praised them for the simple but effective design, and claimed “the kids actually love feeling like they’re at a gym or working out the way an adult would. It’s almost like a game for them.”
The number three spot belongs to the 9-Unit Outdoor Playground Fitness Course. This fun and engaging equipment encourages kids to play and feels less like exercise. It can be a great addition to a park, school, playground, or apartment complex. It is designed for children ages 5 and up.
While this equipment is considered a moderately expensive fitness option, it does contain 9 pieces of equipment. It includes a boarding net, vault bar, swing bars, stall bar fence, triple horizontal bars, pole climb, horizontal ladder, aluminum balance beam, and parallel bars.
Each versatile piece of equipment can be used to work both upper and lower body muscles. Additionally, children will focus on their control, poise, and posture while playing.
The 9-Unit Outdoor Playground Fitness Course is constructed with galvanized steel tubing. The steel has undergone treatments that ensure it is durable, long-lasting, and strong. Powder-coated color options are available at no additional charge. The color options include red, orange, yellow, purple, green, blue, tan, white, silver, black, or brown. Each piece has a generous weight capacity of 995-pounds, so multiple children can play at once.
This fitness course can help children reach the CDC's recommended goal of 60 minutes per day of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity. Teachers report that their students love this fitness course, and the children don't look at it as exercise. They state that the children have fun and find it stimulating.
Several users purchased this fitness course for commercial applications, therapy and rehabilitation facilities, as well as schools. Commercial customers responded with a 5-star product rating.
Much like the adult version, our number two choice for excellent pediatric exercise is a quality bike that provides hours of comfortable fitness training. The Kidsfit Junior Semi Recumbent Bike is the smallest commercial bike available – it is perfect for high octane aerobic exercise.
This equipment is recommended for children aged 10 to 15 years old; however, customers who have kids as young as six years old report that it works very well for them. The weight capacity is 200 pounds, so it is appropriate for young adults as well.
The bike’s console features a computer and magnetic tension system which is very easy to read and user-friendly. The computer measures RPMs (rotations per minute), time, distance, and calories as well as monitoring your child’s pulse and heart rate.
The Junior Semi Recumbent is a safe and fun tool for stamina training and to help your child pedal to the point of fatigue. It ships fully assembled and includes wheels for ease of portability.
This fitness equipment encourages independent exercise; your child can set their target time or distance and monitor their progress by viewing the console as they pedal toward bliss. The seat is well-padded for young bottoms.
There are ten increasingly strenuous levels of resistance, so this equipment will grow with your child. This bike is an exceptionally good value, it is relatively inexpensive.
A mom in Oklahoma reviewed this bike and pronounced it perfect. She said her daughter is ten years old and has always wanted a bike. She has been severely restricted due to balance and coordination disabilities. She has cerebellar hypoplasia, which is similar to muscular dystrophy. Her gross motor skills are not good, her mom said, and she was looking for a fun way to help her develop stronger muscles and more stamina.
She tearfully explained that her daughter’s sense of self-esteem and independence was suffering, as she was the only one in her 4th grade class that did not have any sort of bike.
Mom said that the first time her daughter got on the bike, she could not put her happiness into words, she just wept. She said this bike provided an experience for her child that she never thought that she would have, and that is worth its weight in gold. Her daughter is now the cool kid with a bike in her living room and all of her friends want to come over and ride it.
A mom in Alberta said that physical exercise is an essential component for her son’s emotional health. If he is unable to exercise, he becomes agitated and overwhelmed. She purchased this semi recumbent bike for him and is amazed at how many benefits he has gained. She said he is stronger and his eye hand coordination is better. She added that his mental attitude and his ability to concentrate is much improved. He is on the autism scale, she said, and this bike has become his go-to therapy to calm down. He is twelve years old and often tells her that he has to ‘go pedal some problems away.’
Our number one pediatric exercise equipment is the Mobo Triton Three Wheel Tricycle Cruiser. This cruiser is the ultimate fitness tool for youngsters. In addition to providing an excellent cardio and stamina workout, it is the best reviewed and least expensive exercise equipment in our Top 5 Review.
The Triton is versatile, this trike will grow with your child. It has an innovative, adjustable frame that will allow you to fine-tune it as you child grows lankier, fitting kids and young adults from 3’8” tall to 5’2” tall.
We carry four different models of Mobo three-wheel cruisers, and the Triton is our recommendation for children and youths age 6 to 12 years old, particularly if they have special needs. A customer purchased the Triton for his 10-year-old son, who has spastic diplegia, a form of cerebral palsy. He said that his son cannot ride a standard bike, but desperately wants to be included when his friends ride their bikes. Even with stiff muscles and limited mobility, his son can effectively ride this trike.
This equipment also works well for small adults who may have disabilities that prevent them from riding a typical bike or trike. An elderly grandmother said that she saw a young adult triking in the park on a Triton. She asked for information, went to our website and researched the trike. She purchased it in silver. She got her helmet and rides every day, weather permitting. She is old, she added, but not crazy - she knows that she needs safe, zero impact exercise and she said the Triton is perfect for her. Since she got her trike, she said that she has not had any more falls because of bad balance and – the best feature to her, no more ‘bike-butt.’
The features that set the Triton apart are its state-of-the-art rear wheel steering system, ergonomic seating and low, rugged chassis.
There are several reasonably priced, exciting, kid friendly accessories available, like colorful LED light-up pedals, a tote basket and water bottle holder, as well as functional equipment like pocket air pumps for the tires.
Composite safety pedals are available for people with disabilities who may struggle to keep their feet in the proper position.
There are more than a hundred 5-star reviews for this equipment. Customers, especially those with special-needs children, are very loyal to this trike – they say that it is top-quality equipment. A certified user’s granddaughter has spina bifida; she loves biking but could not keep her feet on the pedals of other bikes and trikes. Her grandma ordered the composite pedals for her, now she loves to cruise the neighborhood with her friends.
Many customers say that the Triton is perfect for youngsters on the autism spectrum; a young man in Washington State is ‘high-functioning autistic,’ his mom said. The sense of freedom and independence that he gained, riding this trike, was a dream come true for him and for her.
A mom said that her son is seven and suffers from gross motor skills weakness and balance issues, from traumatic birth syndrome. He dreamed of riding with his sister and friends, but physically could not ride a standard bike. The Mobo Triton is perfect, she said, and her little boy is happy. She added that the bike is sturdy and durable and she loves the fact that it can grow with him as it was a major investment in his health and wellbeing, and difficult for her to afford.
Another grandmother purchased this trike for her autistic grandson; she said that riding together has enriched both of their lives. She never thought it would be possible to go for a ride to the park with her grandson, but the Triton made it possible. She said that they are both forever grateful.
Our number one recommendation for pediatric exercise is to make it fun!
In the end, if your child is not having fun, if exercise is a chore - they will hate it and eventually they will stop. But when you find and employ equipment that makes them giggle and provides the opportunity for climbing, sliding, rocking out to their favorite tunes and zooming around the house or neighborhood – you will promote a healthy lifestyle that they will continue for the rest of their lives.
All of the equipment in our Top 5 Review is designed to support proper positioning and mobility for special needs children and young adults. All of these apparatuses will give the kids the opportunity to get fit and be healthy.
The Mobo Triton Cruiser is our number one choice because of the stellar reviews and the immense diversity – this trike works well for children with and without disabilities. It works all of your child’s muscle groups – core, legs, fine and gross motor skills. Customers tell us that it engenders a sense of pride in accomplishment and independence. They say that their child is never happier than when they are zipping along, little legs pumping, the wind in their face, smiling from ear to ear.
Our evaluation of this trike indicates that kids who ride Tritons have higher self-esteem, better posture and endurance – they sleep better and are more prepared for both physical and mental challenges.
The Triton is the most cost-effective and best reviewed equipment in our Top 5. The cruiser’s sporty steel frame is adjustable so it will expand as your child grows. Riding outside, customers say, provides endless adventures so your child won’t get bored.
Rehabmart offers a comprehensive variety of superior pediatric exercise equipment from innovative and respected manufacturers.
Want to learn even more? Find dozens of videos featuring products and caregiver tips like these at Rehabmart’s YouTube channel!
Co-Founder of Rehabmart and an Occupational Therapist since 1993. Mike has spent his professional career working in multiple areas of Occupational Therapy, including pediatrics, geriatrics, hand therapy, ergonomics and inpatient / outpatient rehabilitation. Mike enjoys writing articles that help people solve complex therapeutic problems and make better product choices.
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