Exercises for newborns by month. Gymnastics for newborns and infants

Perhaps every parent dreams of raising their child healthy. Many people ask whether there is special gymnastics for 2-month-old infants? Yes, there are such exercises. It is at this age that it is recommended to start doing general strengthening exercises with your baby.

What is important to know about a 2 month old baby?

The first year of a child’s life is characterized by the fastest rates of development. During this time he will learn to control his movements, pronounce simple words, sit, crawl, walk, etc. It is by how the baby masters new skills that the pediatrician will evaluate his development. Movement is the main stimulator of growth and formation of a child’s body. The newborn has a great need for motor activity, which is why most pediatricians recommend with early age teach kids to exercise.

You should know that children’s skills develop from the head, that is, first the baby learns to use his arms and then his legs. The baby’s success depends to a large extent on his own activity. However, the environment and the efforts of parents to develop it also play an important role. A deficiency of skin, auditory and visual stimuli can lead to a child falling behind his peers.

The first and second months of a baby’s life are critical for him. He gets used to extrauterine living conditions. Due to insufficient development of the striatum (one of the parts of the brain), all children at this age experience physiological muscle hypertonicity. The baby's movements are poorly coordinated, erratic, his arms and legs are still pressed to his body, he clenches his fists. By the end of the second month, the tone of the flexor muscles gradually decreases, the child increasingly unclenches his fingers, moves his arms to the sides, and can lift them. If you put him on his stomach, he raises his head 10-15 cm from the surface and easily holds it for 30 seconds.

What you need to know about charging for newborns?

You should start doing gymnastics for infants no earlier than the 40th day of life. If the child has no contraindications, then restorative procedures can be carried out at home independently. But for children with developmental disabilities or diseases, only a specialist can select exercises.

Exercises for infants at 2 months are usually carried out in conjunction with a massage. It allows you to warm up the muscles, the child relaxes, and his mood improves. A massage session improves blood circulation and reduces the level of stress hormone in the body. This good way establish close, trusting contact with the baby. With regular exercises, the child’s motor abilities will significantly improve, he will learn to roll over, crawl, and sit up faster.

Basic Rules

When conducting exercise therapy, it is very important to observe temperature regime in the room, personal hand hygiene, recommended duration of classes. In fact, there are not very many such nuances, but you should know all of them.

Before class, the room must be prepared in advance: ventilate well, warm up to 22 degrees. If exercises with babies are carried out in the summer, then the window can be left open.
The place for charging must be secured; there should be no sharp objects or corners of furniture nearby, and the baby should not roll or fall during the procedure.
Exercises and massage should be performed on a hard surface. A changing table is best suited for these purposes. You should place a folded blanket on it, and then cover the surface with a moisture-absorbing diaper or oilcloth and a baby sheet.
Hands should be thoroughly cleaned before the procedure: cut nails, remove jewelry, watches, and wash thoroughly with soap.
The best time to practice is early in the morning or afternoon, an hour after feeding your baby (and 30 minutes before).
The total duration of gymnastics together with massage should not exceed 20 minutes for two months. 6 minutes are allotted for the exercises. By six months this time can be doubled.
During classes, it is important to talk with the baby and maintain contact. It's good if mom or dad learn nursery rhymes.
At first, you can perform the simplest exercises, increasing their number and complexity over time.
When performing a massage, you should avoid contact with the armpits, fontanel, elbows, knees and inner thighs.
At the end of the exercise, the baby should be wrapped in a warm diaper and allowed to rest for half an hour.

Two-month-old babies are very susceptible to sudden movements, so try to perform all manipulations smoothly. When massaging, do not press hard, knead, or knock on the baby’s body.

Indications and contraindications

As already mentioned, if the child has illnesses, exercises and massage should be carried out by a specialist. In some cases, the instructor may show the baby exercises to the parents.

So, for what pathologies do children need special classes:

hypotonicity, hypertonicity of flexor muscles;
diseases of the central nervous system;
hip dysplasia;
umbilical hernia;
rickets;
any orthopedic problems:
scoliosis;
chest deformation;
constipation

Exercise therapy is contraindicated for a child under one year of age if he/she has:

underweight;
serious heart defect;
strangulated hernia;
inflammatory skin diseases;
diseases of the circulatory system;
ARVI;
increased body temperature;
any disease in the acute stage.

Exercises

Exercise therapy for two-month-old babies is based on so-called reflex exercises, which are carried out in combination with massage. You need to start and end classes with light strokes, and also monitor the baby’s reaction all the time. If he resists, cries, waves his arms or legs, then it is recommended to interrupt the gymnastics. Physical and emotional stress is more likely to do him harm than good.

Massage

This is where charging begins. First you need to massage the baby's limbs, then the tummy, neck and back. Hands must be warmed before the procedure. For a two-month-old baby, light stroking and barely noticeable pressure are acceptable.

So, let's begin.

Place the baby on his back, take his fist in your hand, gently unclench it, and stroke his palm. Smoothly rise to your forearm, do the same with the second handle.
Now take the baby’s leg, stroke the foot, pay attention to each toe. Press lightly on the middle of the foot, tickle lightly.
Using your fingertips, draw a circle around your navel several times (clockwise). Place your palms behind the baby's back, carefully move and close them in the lower abdomen.
Turn the baby onto his tummy and stroke his neck towards his head.
Stroke the back from the lower back upward, then move your palms from the spine to the sides. Pay attention to the butt; in this area, movements should be directed towards the tailbone.
Turn the baby onto its side, carefully run your palm along the paravertebral lines from the lower back up to the head. Now roll over in the other direction and stroke the back in the same way.
Place the child on his back, stroke his face (from the middle of the forehead to the temples, chin), massage the ears.

Gymnastics

Now the newborn is warm enough, and if he is in good mood, you can start exercising. Just like in massage, all movements are performed in stages.

Place yours in your baby's hands thumbs, clasp the rest of your hands. Gently rotate your child's hands for a few seconds. Smoothly lift the baby 15 cm above the surface, and lower it slowly.
Grasp your baby's feet (pressing your palms to the foot) and gently tilt them toward you, away from you, and to the sides. Bend your legs at the knees, pressing them to the baby's tummy, first one at a time, and then two together. Spread your legs half bent at the knees to the sides, then close them.
Turn the baby onto his stomach. Place a small flat cushion under the chest and attract the baby's attention with a gentle word or a rattle. He must hold his head as long as possible.
Remove the roller, place your palms under the soles of the baby and apply light pressure. The child should push off from them and crawl forward a little.
Now place both hands under the baby’s tummy and lift it about 20 cm from the surface. His head and shoulders should involuntarily move back.
If you have a fitball (large ball) at home, place your baby on it, back down. Holding the baby's chest with one hand and the baby's legs with the other, smoothly lower him down all the way (feet first). Then turn him over onto his tummy and tilt the ball so that the baby's head lightly touches the floor.
With both hands, grab the child’s armpits (with his back facing you) and “put” him on his legs. Let him push off the surface, jump, dance.
At the final stage, it is necessary to relax the baby. Lay it on its back, clasp your hands and shake them lightly.

Remember that too much exercise can cause stress in your child. Observe the law of the golden mean and do not insist on exercises if the baby is not in a good mood.

Each child is individual, some kids master the exercises very quickly, others need time. Try to conduct classes every day, at the same hours. This way, the baby will quickly get used to the new loads for him, and after a couple of weeks you will be surprised at how deftly he has learned to control his body.

The motor activity of a newborn is limited, and his internal organ systems continue to develop and improve. To prevent lack of activity from affecting the baby’s development, it is necessary to do gymnastics with him from the first weeks of life. For this purpose, special massage and gymnastic complexes have been developed. It is a mistake to think that they are carried out only with those children who have any developmental disabilities or birth defects. Regular gymnastics for infants is mandatory for everyone. The sooner young parents take care of this, the more fully the child will grow and develop.

Why do babies need gymnastics?

Many people sincerely do not understand why gymnastics is needed for infants if there are no deviations in their development. But these can only be temporary indicators. Are you sure that any defects will not be discovered later? That’s why these exercises are needed to make the child move. They:

increase blood flow to tissues and muscles;
activate metabolic processes;
improve the functional activity of the adrenal cortex;
gymnastics for infants on a ball also develops the vestibular apparatus;
provide strong adhesion to bones and muscles;
bring joy to the baby;
improve sleep and appetite.

It’s easy to notice how fun a child is playing with with your own hands and his legs, how he likes to move them. Exercises allow you to activate other parts of his body. Properly performed dynamic gymnastics for infants will give positive results already on the first day: after it, the baby will eat well, eat tightly and quickly, soundly fall asleep. To achieve effective training, you need to know several rules that must be followed.

There is no need to be afraid of the lack of special education and any skills in this matter. Such gymnastics will only require compliance with certain recommendations that every parent can do. Start with the simplest exercises, constantly monitoring the behavior and well-being of the baby. If everything goes well, he will behave calmly. If it all ends in crying, don’t be upset: choose another moment to study. To achieve results, always remember the basic rules for doing gymnastics with your baby.

The ideal time for training is changing diapers, half an hour before feeding or an hour after it.
Undress the child: this way the clothes will not interfere with his movement.
You need a flat surface - maybe it will be a changing table or a regular table with a foam backing.
Experts say that 1 month is already a sufficient age to start classes. But if you missed this moment, it will not be too late to start at 2, 3 or even 4 months. But the sooner, the more effective the results will be.
At 1 and 2 months, gymnastics on a fitball also becomes available.
Regularity is the main condition for the effectiveness of exercises. They need to be done daily for the entire year after birth.
The room should be ventilated and warmed to 21°C.
It is recommended to begin the action with gentle, light stroking without pressure, with palms and fingers. It is recommended to stroke the arms from the fingers to the shoulders, the legs from the feet to the groin, the tummy from the sides to the center (to the navel). If you are stroking your belly, do it around your navel in a clockwise direction.
Repeat each exercise three (or more) times.
Charging duration should not exceed 15 minutes.
Accompany your every action kind words and a smile, so that gymnastics forms a positive reaction to the procedures in the baby.
If your baby doesn’t like an exercise, remove it from the complex and return to it after some time. Perhaps he hasn't grown up to it yet. Bad feeling and fatigue (after some trip, for example) is a reason to postpone these procedures.

Basic sets of exercises

The gymnastics you choose must correspond to a certain age of the baby, because every month the exercises will become more and more complicated.

At 1 month

Stroking on the chest, back, tummy, limbs, back, buttocks.
Use your thumb to press down on the center of the child's palm. This should cause a certain reaction in the baby: at 1 month he should try to raise his head and tense the muscles of his arms and shoulders.
Place your index fingers in his palms. At 1 month, the baby usually grabs them well and tries to lift himself up.
Place him on his tummy, place your palms on your feet so that he leans on them and tries to push off. Yes, at 1 month a child should already be taught to crawl.

At 2 months

Place the baby on his back, spread his arms to the sides, and then cross them in the chest area, imitating the girth.
Grasping the handles just above the wrists, make boxing movements with your hands.
At 2 months you need to continue teaching him to crawl. Turn him over on his tummy, support him with your hand under his chest, place your palms on his feet so that he rests on them. You can put it in front a bright toy: Let him try to reach her.
Lay it on its back. Grasp your shins with your left hand, and with your right hand hold your left forearm. Help your baby roll over onto his side - this is another skill for 2 months of life. Do this exercise in different directions.
The child lies on the fitball with his tummy down, your hand is on his back. Swing it in different directions and in a circle. Such gymnastics at 2 months allows you to cope with gases.

At 3 months

Place your index fingers in his palms. At 3 months, the baby can already confidently grab onto them and lift himself up. Help him: pull him towards you.
Develop your child's visual abilities and train attention at 3 months. Take a bright toy and move it in front of your baby in different directions. He must follow her with his eyes.
Gently pull his fingers from the base to the nails, but without jerking. At 3 months it is already necessary to lay the foundations of tactile development.
At 3 months, it is recommended to continue exercising on a fitball, gradually making them more difficult.

At 4 months

At 4 months, actively teach your baby to roll over. From the position on the back, turn it over first on its side, then on its tummy, and then return it to its original position.
With your baby on his stomach, point him to the target ahead - a toy. At 4 months he can already crawl to her on his own. You push it further and further, but in the end let the baby enjoy his well-deserved trophy.
At 4 months, lying on his stomach on a fitball, with your legs supported and with the help of rolling, he should learn to grab objects from the floor.

Useful, developmental gymnastics for infants is a prerequisite for their full further development. Parents who have discovered this aspect of their child’s health will definitely appreciate the results: children who have been trained since birth get sick less often, have no deviations or defects, and grow up cheerful, vigorous, and active.

You can do gymnastics for newborn babies from the very first month. Exercise improves physical skills, muscles, motor coordination, balance and has beneficial effects on the central nervous system, blood vessels, heart and lungs.

Classes must be carried out strictly in game form, talking to the baby.

Before classes, you should make sure that the baby does not have any health problems. Also, the child should be in high spirits and not hungry. It is recommended to completely undress him and ensure a comfortable temperature in the room.

We should not forget that the little man’s ligaments are still very elastic and soft, that is, all manipulations must be careful and soft. The amplitude and intensity can be increased only after six to seven months, when the baby has developed basic motor skills: he will sit, roll over, stand up and crawl. It is at this age that the child begins to take direct part in exercises.

Gymnastics for infants 1 month

How to do exercises for newborns? And is this required? The mother herself must decide this. From the moment of birth, the child begins a difficult adaptation to completely new conditions. During this time, they sleep a lot, and their feeding occurs during breaks. That is why it is believed that there is no need to rush either with gymnastics or massage procedures. So what is the basis of gymnastics for a one-month-old baby? These classes are aimed at effectively developing stabilization, balance and musculature. There should be no intense exercise. They must be performed as smoothly and accurately as possible.

Remember that the child should not feel any pain during this.

Exercises for 2 month old babies

Training at this age should begin with light stroking and massaging movements. The movement patterns listed below can also be included in gymnastics for children 9 months old; only the intensity and duration of the manipulations change.

Gymnastic exercises at this age are still passive. The child just watches his mother’s hands, smiling back.

Gymnastics for a 6 month old baby

Exercises for 6-month-old children are aimed at developing the skills of crawling and sitting in the child’s body. At this age, the baby can already attempt to stand on all fours. And this action should be encouraged.

Gymnastics for children 9 months

Here we can distinguish a couple of stages: active and passive. After 6 or 7 months, you can begin active exercises, because a child at this age is aware of a lot of what is happening around him.

Encourage him to crawl. Don't worry if your baby is in no hurry to walk. Enough time is needed for the back muscles to become stronger and fully formed. Crawling, as already mentioned, can be stimulated with bright things and toys.
Development of abdominal and back muscles. Place your baby on your lap with his stomach down so that his shoulders and chest hang down. Ask him to pick up an object from the floor surface. The baby will bend, making a kind of bridge, after which it will return to its original position.
For gymnastics already you can use special devices: hoops, balls, jump ropes, etc.

As you know, children often copy the behavior of adults, so the exercises can be done together. In this case, the baby will be more willing to do squats and bends, throw a ball, stand on his toes, etc.

In conclusion, it is worth noting that gymnastics for children can be recreational (general) and therapeutic. Therapeutic exercises should be done exclusively under the supervision of a physical therapy expert. However, if your baby does not have any disabilities, then some techniques can be learned independently.

Every mother sincerely wants her baby to grow up healthy and strong. This largely depends on how seriously the parents take the baby’s lifestyle. In this regard, gymnastics for newborns is of exceptional benefit. Thanks to her, the baby not only significantly improves his health, but his emotional connection with his mother is significantly strengthened, which is an important psychological factor.

Gymnastics for newborn babies can begin less than a month after birth. Of course, at such a time, exercise with such newborns should consist of several simple exercises. It’s worth talking about this in order, since many mothers know how useful exercise is for newborn babies, but not everyone knows how to do it correctly.

for a newborn, it is important for a newborn child to develop physically;
the baby needs to strengthen the immune system and make every effort to strengthen the body;
For infant a system that allows you to effectively strengthen muscles and bones is an important condition for normal development;
correctly performed exercises help strengthen posture and abdominal muscles;
muscle hypertonicity is significantly reduced, which is very useful;
motor coordination is actively developing, the vestibular apparatus is developing;
the pressure is stable, there are no sudden jumps;
Having done an active set of exercises, you can be sure that the baby will eat with great appetite;
dynamic gymnastics for infants helps them grow with endurance, there are no problems with dexterity, which is very important;
Correctly performed gymnastics for newborns helps normalize work internal organs, the digestive system functions without disturbances, gases are not formed in large quantities, the baby does not suffer from colic, and the last factor is very important. Colic in the first months often prevents many babies from enjoying the comforts of life;
having done correct exercises, the baby comes into a relaxed state, calms down, the functioning of the nervous system improves;
the child develops the necessary reflexes faster, he quickly learns to perceive sounds and movements;
under the influence of gymnastic exercises, the baby learns to crawl much faster, and then walk. And he stands confidently, just as he sits;
Once again it should be said about the benefits of tactile contact, which is actively developing between mother and child.

How to do gymnastics correctly

If a mother decides to do gymnastics with her baby, then this is the right decision. But it is important to take the matter seriously - for example, exercises for babies who are already more than a month old are definitely not suitable for those who are only a couple of weeks old.

It is important to be examined by a doctor before performing any physical exercise, since physical activity directly depends on the child’s health status. If there are certain contraindications, then the first thing you need to do is make sure that there are no contraindications for performing physical exercises.

If we talk about light exercises, then it can be done by almost all kids (with the exception of those who have serious pathologies). Congenital neurological symptoms are especially dangerous, then you need to undergo serious treatment. Do not forget that only a doctor can give the right recommendations on when it is best to start physical exercises with your baby so that they bring maximum benefit. In this case, the characteristics of the child’s physical development must be taken into account.

Having heard that exercise for newborn children is useful, many parents go to extremes, starting to exercise with the child from the first days after his birth. You shouldn't do this. The best option is to start exercising in the second week after the baby is born. At the same time, it is important to follow the rule - all exercises performed should be as smooth as possible, there is no need to rush in this regard, no sudden movements and significant physical activity cannot be allowed. Do not forget that Olympic records are not worth achieving; the main task is to strengthen the child’s physical and mental condition.

If the child is several months old, then all exercises should be performed 10-15 minutes before he is planned to be fed. Then there is no doubt that he will definitely not have problems with appetite. All exercises should have 3-5 approaches and gymnastics should be performed daily! Only with this approach to business will the effect of physical activity be as effective as possible. Soon such actions will become a habit for both mother and child.

It is important to choose the right time for exercise; it is strongly recommended to do it in the first half of the day. To perform the exercises, a special place must be equipped, the surface must be hard, and a blanket or diaper must be laid over it. In this case, the baby should not experience any discomfort, nothing should interfere or irritate him when performing physical exercises.

It is important to observe the temperature regime in the room in which classes are carried out. The baby should not be allowed to overheat or freeze. If the baby is not yet a month old, then the appropriate room temperature is 21 degrees. Before performing physical exercises, the room must be ventilated.

When doing exercises, you need to constantly maintain contact with the child, talk to him, sing funny songs. Under no circumstances should you swear or raise your voice if something doesn’t work out. There is no need to encourage a child to perform those exercises that, due to his development, are still difficult for him to do. The child should not be overloaded; if he does not feel well and categorically refuses the activity, there is no point in insisting, there will definitely be no benefit from this.

Gymnastics for newborns - a set of exercises

In the morning it is important to tone the baby’s muscles, but not all parents clearly know what the first exercises should be in the morning. In fact, everything is as simple as possible - as soon as the child wakes up, he should be placed on his back, after which he should be helped to stretch. Then his wrists and ankles shake slightly. It is useful to spread small arms to the sides, as if he were hugging himself. Then the children’s wrists smoothly rise to the top, this “mill” exercise is very effective.
It is imperative to place the baby on his tummy; this exercise is strongly recommended by pediatricians. This helps strengthen digestive system, the child quickly learns to lift and hold his head. This is not difficult to do - just a rattle and his favorite toy rise above the baby’s head, he himself will happily reach for it.
If the child is several weeks old, then the time of such exercises may be limited to a few seconds, but then the time constantly increases. When the baby is already a couple of months old, you need to spend at least 5 minutes on the whole range of activities. Already at this time, you can teach the newborn to turn his head; toys and rattles can also be used effectively for this.
If your baby often has tummy pain and colic, you can do leg bending. The baby's legs are carefully bent at the knees, smoothly pulled towards the stomach, and then returned to their original position.
For normal joint development, you need to perform circular exercises, the legs are bent at the knees and spread to the sides, each leg rotates slightly in a circle.
To strengthen your posture, you need to straighten your spine; the spinal bones and muscles also become stronger. The baby is placed on his side, his legs are held with one hand, then with the other hand you need to walk along the spine, after which the child reflexively bends in the back.
Rocking exercises are performed after the baby is one month old. You can use a fitball for such purposes. The newborn is placed on his back, the legs are gently bent at the knees, they should be pressed to the stomach, after which the arms are pressed to the chest. That is, it should be a fetal position. Now the baby needs to be rocked in different directions, just be careful.
When the baby is already more than two weeks old, reflex crawling can begin. Most babies begin to crawl independently on their tummy when they are three months old, and after the fifth month they begin to crawl on all fours. It is important to prepare him for this important step - for this, he lies on his stomach and bends his knees so that his legs are spread apart. And at this time the feet rest on the mother’s hands. In this position, the baby simply reflexively pushes away from his palms and begins to crawl forward little by little.
It is important to practice reflex walking. The baby should be taken under the arms and let him stand on a hard surface. It is important that his body is tilted forward. After this, the baby steps forward at a reflex level.

How to exercise with a newborn on a fitball

Fitballs in last years are becoming more and more popular. Such balls are loved by both adults and children; they are an excellent option for activities with newborn babies. Only then you should not buy large balls, the best option is a medium-sized ball, it is important that it has handles and the surface is smooth. If the baby is already more than two weeks old, then it is quite possible to use such a projectile.

There are many exercises with a fitball, but the simplest and most loved by kids is rocking while lying on their back or stomach. It is only important to support him by the back or tummy, it is important that his head is not thrown back.

The baby is carefully placed on the changing table, a fitball is rolled to his legs, after which he pushes the ball away on a reflex level. If you put your child on a fitball with his back down, you can do an exercise called a “clock.” Only in this case does the baby hold tightly to the chest or tummy, and the ball rotates clockwise, only this is done gently.

Conclusion

It is important to understand that all activities should bring pleasure to the baby, this should be a kind of interesting game. Do not forget that for children their body is an object for play; he constantly watches his arms and legs with interest, plays, and has fun with them. And gymnastics helps to ensure that such games are effectively directed in the right direction, all parts of the child’s body are activated and actively developed.

In addition to purely physical benefits, exercises performed correctly help ensure that the baby, grabbing his hands and feet, receives more information about them and understands what can be done with them. It is very good if gymnastic exercises are performed when the diaper is changed, at such moments the body is naked and there are no obstacles to effectively exercising.

From the moment of birth, the baby begins to perform chaotic movements with tiny arms and legs - this is how he tries to understand the capabilities of his body.

During the first weeks, his respiratory, nervous and circulatory systems, as well as the digestive tract, are not yet able to work at full strength, and therefore the baby feels some discomfort.

Special gymnastics for newborns from the first days of life, combined with healing massage, will help the baby quickly adapt to new living conditions, strengthen physical condition, and also effectively fight various infections.

Regardless of a person’s age, physical activity is required to improve their quality of life and ensure excellent health. A newborn baby is no exception. If caring parents arrange daily massage sessions and a special set of gymnastic exercises for him, he will develop much faster and more harmoniously not only in the physical sphere, but also in the mental one.

Gymnastics classes for newborns bring invaluable benefits:

thanks to regular tactile contact with the mother, the baby is in a calm state, and his psyche develops correctly and harmoniously;
the baby learns more easily and quickly own body and gets used to its features;
coordination of movements develops harmoniously;
muscles and joints become strong, strong and elastic;
all important metabolic processes are improved and accelerated;
the necessary reflexes develop correctly and in a timely manner.

Regular gymnastics is necessary for all babies without exception, but most of all for those whose mothers practice tight swaddling.

IN similar situations the baby is not able to move freely, and therefore his muscles are constantly stiff and unable to develop in the correct way.

When is the best time to start gymnastics and how to introduce them into daily practice?

Since children under one year old are very important harmonious physical development, the very first gymnastics lesson is recommended to be carried out as early as possible.

In the absence of any medical contraindications, you can start a set of physical exercises from the second week of the baby’s life.

However, if you have even the slightest concerns, you should consult a qualified pediatrician.

Gymnastics for newborns should be introduced into regular daily practice gradually and very carefully.

At first, it is recommended to choose no more than two or three of the simplest and easiest exercises that must be performed daily at the same time of day - for example, before bathing the baby. It should be taken into account that in no case should you start gymnastics immediately after feeding the baby - a period of at least one hour must pass between these procedures.

From the moment the baby is born until he reaches one month of age, the duration of gymnastics should not exceed 3-6 minutes. Each exercise can be repeated approximately 5-7 times.

For a baby older than one month, you can gradually increase the number of exercises to 10. And the duration of the sessions can be 10-13 minutes.

If the baby is overtired or does not feel well, the exercises must be stopped immediately.

Also, under no circumstances should you perform types of physical exercise that are unpleasant for the baby and cause him discomfort.

Simple physical exercises for your baby

Gymnastics for newborns can be done from the age of 1 month. When choosing a set of physical exercises for a baby aged one month, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the child’s body at this stage. Most infants are characterized by muscle hypertonicity, and therefore gymnastics should be aimed at relaxing them.

The most effective in this regard will be the following types of exercises:

exercise “Mill” - raising the baby’s arms up and down;
spreading the arms to the sides and then crossing them on the chest;
spreading the legs in different directions and bringing them back to their original position;
alternate rotation with the left and right thigh, describing a semicircle;
exercise “Book” - bringing together and spreading the baby’s legs, bent at the knees, like opening and closing a book;
placing the baby on his tummy, stimulating him to independently raise his head.

All of the listed exercises must be performed very smoothly and carefully, repeating each of them five times. At the end of the session, it is recommended to perform a light massage of the baby’s arms and entire body.

Rules for performing gymnastics for newborns

Charging for newborns up to a month should be carried out with the utmost care.

The most important principle of gymnastics for babies is to do no harm.

Therefore, when performing it, it is necessary to follow certain rules.

Namely:

Before starting the exercises, you should ventilate the room well and let it warm up for fifteen minutes.
All exercises must be performed on a flat and hard surface so that the baby’s spine develops correctly. A changing table is ideal for these purposes.
When performing a light massage of the baby's body, movements should be made in the direction from the limbs to the center of the body.
When stroking the back of a newborn, under no circumstances should you put pressure on the area of the kidneys and heart.
The recommended duration of the exercise set is ten minutes.
Negative emotions on the part of the baby, as well as any forced actions, are unacceptable.
If the baby cries and is capricious, the start of gymnastics classes should be postponed to a more favorable period.

Gymnastics for kids on fitball

A fitball, or fitness ball, is a universal gymnastics equipment for the whole family.

It can also be successfully used to train a newborn baby.

Parents need to be extremely careful so that the baby does not accidentally fall.

Before starting gymnastics, you should turn on pleasant rhythmic music that will delight the baby, and lay a diaper on top of the fitball.

Now you can start doing simple exercises.

Having placed the baby on the fitball on his tummy, you should press the legs to the surface of the ball and additionally fix its back with your hand. In this position, lightly rock the baby forward and back alternately - this is very useful for proper development vestibular apparatus and abdominal muscles. To massage the intestines, you should occasionally perform bouncing movements with a fitball.
Having fixed your hands on the baby’s legs, you need to perform several rolling movements with the ball forward so that the baby lies on it upside down.
Mine forefinger should be placed in the baby's fist. In this position, lightly roll the gymnastic ball towards you and spread the child’s arms to the sides.

Then all the listed exercises can be repeated, carefully turning the baby from the tummy to the back.

How to prepare your baby for walking

The walking reflex is developed in infants at the age of several days. The task of parents is to correctly develop this reflex.

To do this, you should put the baby in an upright position so that his legs are on a hard surface - in this way, he will begin to take his first small steps on an intuitive level.

However, if the baby does not feel such a desire, you can help him with this by slightly tilting his torso and head forward.

It is important that the baby’s entire foot is on the surface. This position will certainly encourage the baby to walk.

Proper gymnastics promotes the harmonious development of the physical and intellectual sphere of the newborn. The main thing is that the exercises are regular and bring only joy and pleasure to the baby.