How to Perform the Exercise
Setup: Fit the patient into the Solo-Step harness and connect the lanyard to the trolley on the overhead track. Position the patient at one end of the track, facing forward. A line of tape along the floor beneath the track can serve as a helpful visual guide for foot placement. Adjust the lanyard length to allow natural upright movement while ensuring the system can engage immediately if the patient loses their balance. The patient may extend their arms out to the sides to assist with balance.
Starting Position: Have the patient stand tall at the beginning of the track with feet together, core lightly engaged, and eyes focused on a fixed point straight ahead. Instruct the patient to take a moment to feel the security of the harness before initiating the first step.
The Exercise:
- Cue the patient to step forward with the lead foot, placing the heel directly in front of the toes of the back foot. The heel and toes should be touching or nearly touching, with feet aligned along the same straight line.
- Instruct the patient to transfer their weight fully onto the lead foot before lifting the trailing foot to take the next step.
- Continue walking in this heel-to-toe pattern along the full length of the track, maintaining an upright trunk and a forward gaze throughout.
- Encourage a slow, deliberate pace. The quality of foot placement takes complete priority over speed.
- At the end of the track, have the patient pause, reestablish their balance, and return to the starting position using the same heel-to-toe pattern.
- Repeat for the prescribed number of lengths or duration.
Progressions: As balance and coordination improve, the therapist can advance the exercise by increasing the pace, introducing a head turn or cognitive dual task while walking, having the patient cross their arms over their chest to remove the arm balance assist, placing small targets or markers on the floor to step to, or progressing to an eyes-closed variation to further challenge the proprioceptive and vestibular systems.