Lauren McDougallMar 10, 20223 min read
What is muscle tone?
Updated: Mar 29, 2022
It's different to 'strength'. Muscle tone is the amount of tension in our muscles (all of the time!). Muscles with 'normal' tone always have some amount of tension and stiffness, and are never fully relaxed. This allows them to 'react'.
Our muscle tone helps to keep us upright when sitting and standing, and it's the changes in our resting muscle tone that allow us to move, and contributes to the control, speed and amount of movement we can achieve.
You may have heard of 'hypotonia', or low muscle one (think 'o', 'low') which means they have decreased tone, and require more effort to get our muscles moving effectively. Muscles with low tone can often appear 'floppy' and have increased flexibility.
On the opposite end, we have 'hypertonia' or high muscle tone. This means there is too much muscle tone, which can make movements stiff and difficulty to move around. This is more common in conditions such as Cerebral Palsy, brain injury, stroke etc.
Let's look at both more closely.
Hypotonia
Muscles with low tone have a slightly longer resting length. This means the muscle fibers aren't overlapping at an optimal level, which means there are fewer points that the muscle fibers can attach to generate a pull on the muscle.
What does this mean? The muscle needs to work harder, which uses more energy. It also means muscles with low tone often need more stimulation to activate, which affects muscle response time, and negatively influences performance. This, paired with the extra energy required, is often whey we see faster fatigue rates in people with hypotonia.
Common themes:
▪️Poor posture and core stability. Difficulty maintaining posture when sitting and standing. They might slump in a chair, lie across the desk at school rather than sitting upright etc.
▪️Delayed gross motor development and taking longer to reach developmental milestones
▪️Difficulty with fine motor skills such as writing harder. This is because posture and core control create the physical foundation for fine motor skills.
▪️Getting tired quickly, fatiguing faster than peers because they have to put so much more effort into using their muscles.
▪️Clumsiness and falling
▪️Overall reduced strength
▪️A higher than usual amount of flexibility around joints
Low muscle tone can occur in different severities so someone with “low tone” might present with more obvious features than others.
Exercise is like gold for improving and managing low muscle tone. It can’t “fix” low muscle tone, but it still works it’s magic to improve outcomes. Specific exercise can improve overall strength and endurance (including core and postural endurance) motor control and coordination, support joint stability and increase physical endurance.
Hypertonia
Hypertonia occurs when regions of the brain or spinal cord that control the messages from the brain to tell the muscles to contract, are damaged. It can be present with or without spasticity.
Hypertonia can cause a range of symptoms:
▪️reduced ability for the muscle to stretch, which can lead to contractures, which can cause decreased range of movement and function.
▪️difficulty with movements such as walking, reaching, gripping, balance, reactions etc
▪️increased falls due to difficulty to react and regain balance
▪️rigidity of muscles and spasticity of muscles
▪️pain in affected muscles
Similar to low muscle tone, the
symptoms can vary in severity between individuals.
Stretching is an important component of an exercise use regime for muscles with hypertonia. Due to muscle contractions, limbs can become out of position and impact mobility. Stretching muscles can help to lengthen the contracted muscles and improve mobility. Another important factor to support movement with hypertonia is doing exercises to help with every day movements and activities, as these can be impacted by tight muscles and contractures limiting their independence.
Lauren McDougall June 4 2026
Why movement matters more than you think (especially for kids)
If you’ve ever wondered whether your child is moving enough, you’re not alone.
For many families, “movement” can start to feel like another thing to keep up with—sports, activities, getting outside more, limiting screen time. It can quickly become something that feels like it needs more time, more energy, and more structure than you realistically have.
But movement doesn’t have to look like that.
In fact, some of the most meaningful movement for kids happens in simple, everyday ways.
Movement is more than just exercise
When we think about movement, it’s easy to picture organised sport or structured activities. But for children, movement is much broader than that.
It can look like:
- Playing in the backyard
- Dancing in the living room
- Climbing, jumping, rolling, exploring
- Walking to the car or helping carry groceries
- Getting up and down off the floor
These small, natural movements are not just “filling time”—they’re how children build the foundations for how their bodies feel and function.
It supports more than just physical health
Movement isn’t only about keeping kids “fit” or active.
It plays a role in:
- Energy levels – helping kids feel more alert and less sluggish
- Mood and emotions – supporting regulation and reducing restlessness
- Focus and attention – especially for younger children
- Confidence – as they learn what their bodies can do
Often, when a child is struggling with energy, focus, or behaviour, movement is one of the simplest places to start.
It doesn’t have to be perfect
One of the biggest barriers families face is the idea that movement needs to be done “properly” to count.
The reality is, it doesn’t.
Short bursts of movement throughout the day can be just as valuable as longer, structured sessions. There’s no need for perfect routines or high levels of motivation—especially in busy seasons of life.
What matters most is creating regular opportunities for movement in a way that fits your family.
What this can look like in real life
For many families, it’s not about adding more—it’s about noticing what’s already possible.
That might be:
- Letting kids play on the floor instead of always sitting on the couch
- Encouraging a quick game or movement break between activities
- Walking short distances where you can
- Building small moments of movement into your usual routines
These small shifts often feel more manageable—and are more likely to stick.
A gentle reminder
If things have felt a bit sedentary lately, that’s okay.
Routines change, life gets busy, and energy comes and goes. Movement doesn’t need to be all or nothing.
Starting small, and keeping things simple, is often what makes the biggest difference over time.
If you’re feeling unsure how movement fits into your child’s day, or where to start, support is there to help you find an approach that feels manageable for your family.
📞 0431 048 684
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