3 Ways Balance Bikes Help Toddlers With Coordination

Is a balance bike the way to put your toddler on the fast track to better coordination? Unlike pedal bikes with training wheels, balance bikes teach kids to rely on their own balance and coordination instead of staying upright with help from extra wheels. That means stronger, more confident riders with better coordination skills! Many parents are actually forgoing training wheels in favor of these sturdy, comfortable bikes that help kids enjoy the fun and freedom of becoming capable riders. Here’s a look at three ways balance bikes help toddlers with coordination.

How Balance Bikes Work

Balance bikes are training bikes that don’t have pedals or training wheels. Kids maneuver these bikes by pushing off the ground with their feet. As they move forward, they use their own body strength and coordination to control speed and balance. Parents don’t need to worry that their kids will struggle with transitioning to regular bikes when the time comes. These training bikes can actually make the transition to riding a full-sized bike smoother compared to bikes with training wheels because kids haven’t been trained to rely on extra wheels to stay upright. Balance bikes are helping to foster the next generation of enthusiastic riders who love outdoor play!

1. Engaging New Muscles

Balance bikes cause children to engage multiple muscle groups that they might not use during other activities. This helps kids to develop core strength that ultimately leads to better balance and coordination. Kids also develop enhanced agility by discovering how to engage muscles in new ways. The muscle memory that is developed when riding a balance bike can have tremendous benefits for lifelong coordination skills. Additionally, time spent on the bike helps to strengthen muscles and boost endurance. It’s no surprise that learning how to ride a balance bike makes kids feel accomplished and proud.

2. Promoting Good Coordination

The brain and body need to be fully synched up when riding a balance bike. While learning to ride a balance bike isn’t more challenging than learning how to ride a traditional bike, it does require a child to deeply engage all of their motor skills! As they get their bikes to move the way they want them to move, little riders are developing and enhancing motor skills without even realizing it! They are so caught up in the fun of learning to balance their bodies on the bike that they don’t realize that thousands of connections are firing back and forth between the brain and various muscle groups.

3. Enhancing Cognitive Development

Coordination begins in the brain. Balance bikes stimulate cognitive development and brain function by keeping the rider “on their toes” as they navigate and steer to control their bikes. As they ride, kids on balance bikes need to stay aware of their surroundings while they steer forward on the path. Riding a balance isn’t just about becoming a skilled rider. The attentiveness and focus required are certainly transferable to other brain skills!

Toddlerhood plays a large role in a person’s development so it’s important to get toddlers started on balance bikes so they can start working on their coordination skills.