Learn to walk

Updated on

Nicole Wendler holds a PhD in biology in the field of oncology and immunology. As a medical editor, author and proofreader, she works for various publishers, for whom she presents complex and extensive medical issues in a simple, concise and logical manner.

More about the experts All content is checked by medical journalists.

Babies learn to walk at different speeds. Most children start by sitting and crawling first before pulling themselves up and practicing their first steps. But some babies also skip a phase. Find out here when babies learn to walk, what physical conditions they need to do so and how you can help your baby learn to walk.

Learning to walk: a complex process

For motor skills such as learning to walk, different parts of the body must work together perfectly: tendons, ligaments, bones, muscles, but also nerves and senses all contribute to a successful movement. First, the planning takes place in the brain, then nerve impulses via the spinal cord inform the necessary muscles about what to do.

Motor neurons, i.e. special nerve cells in the muscles, ensure that the limbs ultimately move in a targeted manner. Every coordinated movement is a complex process in itself: many cogs have to mesh with one another so that it runs smoothly. At the end of learning to walk, these automatically interlock and function without much thought.

Learning to walk: what does it take?

Babies learn to walk by doing three things:

• Fingers: Holding on and gripping objects securely are important basic skills for learning to walk.
• Legs: Only when the legs are strong enough can your baby push from crouching to standing.
• Balance: At the beginning your child is still very unsteady on its feet. If the balance is better, it becomes more and more secure when running.

But energy, body awareness and patience are also necessary for learning to walk.

Learning to walk needs strong legs

Our leg muscles are used to it and strong enough to carry us through the day. In the baby, after nine weightless months in the womb, all muscles are only weakly developed and must first be trained. The leg muscles are of course particularly important for learning to walk, but strong back and neck muscles are also necessary for walking upright.

The back and neck muscles develop in the first few months until your baby can finally lift his head and turn from back to stomach a little later. Then the muscles are strong enough and the child begins to crawl and crawl. The legs are constantly in motion when kicking, bobbing, sealing or crawling and become steadily stronger as a result. By around nine or ten months, children can bend their knees and sit down from a standing position.

Learn to walk: hold on instead of falling over

In order to be able to pull themselves up on mum and dad's pant legs or on the couch at all, babies must first be able to grip and hold on. A firm grip and strong fingers are also crucial for walking on a safe hand.

At around eight to ten months, the gripping is usually quite easy and safe. This is a basic requirement for the first steps. Your child will soon pull himself up on objects and carefully shimmy along them.

Learning to walk: a question of balance

The majority of babies started learning to walk on their first birthday and take their first steps unaided. Babies like to look for short distances first, for example from the table leg to mum's arms.

The first attempts on your own two feet are still quite bumpy and unsafe. A little practice is needed until the coordination of movements works perfectly and the first steps without outside help do not unbalance the baby. Your offspring will gradually find the right balance for running. If the first steps are still rather uncoordinated and insecure, your child will quickly run more confidently.

Learning to walk takes strength

In addition to muscles, finger grip and balance, your baby needs sufficient energy to learn to walk. A healthy diet is therefore an important prerequisite for babies to learn to walk.

If there is a lack of strength, a strong will is not enough. Too many calories are also a hindrance: Learning to walk is much more difficult for babies who are overweight.

Learning to walk: a healthy body feeling

A healthy body awareness is helpful when learning to walk. If babies have the opportunity to move around a lot and to gather new sensory impressions in the fresh air, they learn to walk faster than babies who cannot adequately act out their urge to move.

Many children take their first steps on tiptoe. As soon as they appear, they reflexively stand on tiptoe. With a little practice and time, the heel will slowly drop towards the ground. Eventually, your baby learns to roll the sole of the foot while walking.

Learning to walk: practice makes perfect

Last but not least, you need a lot of patience and a high tolerance for frustration. One study looked at the number of steps 11 to 14 month old babies complete each day. The researchers came up with the proud sum of 14,000 steps a day (combined with about 100 falls). For comparison: 10,000 steps correspond to around five to eight kilometers for an adult.

Learning to walk: when do children learn to walk?

How quickly motor development takes place varies from person to person and reflects the healthy diversity of people. A slightly delayed movement development is therefore not a cause for concern at first.

Every child has their own pace. While some children can be sure of their first birthday, others need a little longer. This is completely normal.

So-called motor milestones such as crawling, sitting or learning to walk, which mark essential development steps, are groundbreaking. How quickly a child masters these steps is independent of gender, siblings, type and weight of birth and preferred mode of transport (stroller, sling).

However, premature babies reach the milestones later and then learn to walk later. The age at which the first steps are successful therefore varies from child to child.

When do babies run at the earliest?

When babies start walking depends on the points already mentioned: How good is their body feeling and nutritional status, are they allowed to live out their urge to move?

If these conditions are good, your baby may actually take its first steps at eight or nine months. Babies who need a little longer usually pull themselves up on a piece of furniture or your pant leg for the first time by the age of 16.

When do children start walking alone?

After weeks with their back bent and holding the child by the hand, parents can hardly wait for their child to be able to walk on their own. But it takes a while from the first steps by hand to walking freely. However, by the age of 16 months at the latest, children should run alone or at least practice learning to walk diligently.

If a child is 20 months old and cannot walk on their own, you should ask the pediatrician for advice. During an examination, he can determine whether there is an anatomical reason for the delay.

Learning to walk: what should you watch out for?

• Some children take a little longer to learn to walk. Every baby has its own pace. Don't compare your child to others. Hold out your hand and be patient.
• Comfort your child if it doesn't work right away and it lands on the bottom again. Encouragement and encouragement are important so that they are not afraid of trying again.
• Let your child walk barefoot as much as possible, this strengthens the foot muscles and enables the soles of the feet to roll smoothly.
• First walkers have more flexible soles, but are actually not necessary. In the apartment, socks, perhaps with stopper nubs on the underside, are sufficient so that your child has a safe step.
• Solid soles damage the foot. Children's shoes for outside therefore need a soft sole so that the foot can roll off while learning to walk.
• Caution! Baby walkers, i.e. devices that are supposed to help the baby learn to walk, only do harm: They do not allow muscle training and encourage incorrect posture and dangerous accidents!

New freedom, new possibilities

Higher, faster, further: running opens up new opportunities for your child, and new exciting challenges await, in which you can again actively support your child. After learning to walk, you can start climbing stairs, playing football, riding a balance bike or simply running.

You should make your home childproof now at the latest. Because nothing is safe from the little explorers on two legs. Make sure that the floor in the children's room is not too hard - otherwise a fall can be very painful and dangerous. Carpets should lie on a non-slip mat so that they do not become a stumbling block for the offspring. The sockets should also be made childproof at the latest when learning to walk has worked.

Tags:  sports fitness elderly care digital health