Bike Riding

Temperatures are starting to go up, days are getting longer, the sun is shinning and flowers are blooming! All signs of spring! What a wonderful time to get your Rett girl out and riding a bike while catching some Vitamin D!
Riding bikes is not only fun it also offers a huge list of benefits especially for our girls:

1. Cardiovascular health - like most aerobic exercise riding bikes works your heart muscle, keeping it healthy and strong

2. Increased strength - It goes without saying that pushing the peddles of a bike can help strengthen your legs but for our girls who are not able to push the peddles on their own even just sitting upright and balancing on the seat strengthens their core muscles

3. Constipation relief - riding a bike not only strengthens our outward muscles but it also works on our inner muscles, and for our Rett girls slow GI systems exercise is wonderful and can many times help alleviate occasional constipation

4. Flexibility - Riding a bike is great for flexibility it offers a gradual stretch each time the peddle moves out. Bike riding can also help with our girls that have stiff knee joints or who tend to lock their knees into position, it can really loosen them up.

If your Rett girl already has a bike and LOVES it let us know! Click HERE and submit a review and picture of your Rett girl on her bike!

If your girl does not yet have a bike we have a few suggestions!

The Freedom Concepts Discovery Trike is designed to assist children with mild to moderate physical disabilities. The basic features offer support for the little ones that need some extra help. And for the children that require more support, there are several accessories to choose from to provide just what is needed. There is a great review on our rett girl site with a link to go to to purchase it.

The AmTryke are unique tricycles, which can be hand and/or foot operated, are designed to accommodate riders of all ages, sizes, and varying degrees of physical limitations. There is a review of this trike on our website as well as a link that will get you to the manufacturer. An additional bonus is that this manufacturer (AMBUCS) has a "Wish list" for individuals with disabilities who cannot afford the cost of an AmTryke. They have required forms that can be filled out and submitted to the AMBUCS Resource Center, that person's name is placed on their Wish List. When a chapter raises the funds the next name is picked off the list, they are notified and the trike is shipped to their home.

If you have been searching for a bike and are in sticker shock don't get discouraged. Check out this blog post for a list of ways to help with funding. You could also enter the Great Bike Giveaway through May 10, 2012 for a chance to win a free adaptive bike! For more information and to enter click HERE

We encourage you to get your Rett Girl up and on a bike but if that is not possible for her or if her doctors or therapists have advised against it there are other options! Check out some of our bike seats and trailers HERE!


Happy Riding!