Exercise for newborns: benefits, doctors' recommendations and step-by-step instructions with photos

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

The first month of a baby's life - the neonatal period - is the most difficult and difficult time for him. Immediately, from the first minute, everything here is unusual for him: a different way of breathing, eating, a different temperature and many different stimuli. Adaptation to the new world in the crumbs occurs through sleep, and awakenings are usually associated with natural needs. Despite the fact that during the neonatal period, wakefulness intervals are quite short, this time can be used to good use. For the full development of the baby, doctors recommend introducing exercises for newborns from the first days. We will talk about the methods and benefits of gymnastics for the smallest in this article.

Until what age is a child considered a newborn?

Before moving on to exercises for newborns from the first days, it would be appropriate to clarify until what age the baby is considered a newborn. When the baby is just born, the mother has to discover a lot of new things, especiallywhen it comes to firstborn. When reading special literature or when communicating with a pediatrician, the following terms may come across: early and late neonatal periods. For many mothers, this terminology can lead to a stupor. In terms of medicine, the newborn age lasts twenty-eight days, which is divided into periods:

• early neonatal - starts from cord ligation and lasts a week;
• late neonatal - continues until the end of the newborn age, that is, up to twenty-eight days.

Thus, the exercises for newborns that we will consider are relevant for very young children.

Benefits of gymnastics

The benefits of gymnastics for every person, including a newborn, are difficult to question. After all, everyone knows that even the simplest exercises have a positive effect on the entire body. And for newborns, gymnastics is important in their development. It remains only to find out what exercises can be done to newborns from the first days of life. For a baby, gymnastics is not just a set of certain activities, but first of all, close tactile contact with the mother. Its deficiency can lead to a slowdown in the mental and emotional development of the child. Recently, more and more often in infants, physiological muscle hypertonicity has been observed, which has been noted in Russia. Exercises for newborns help to quickly eliminate excessive muscle tension, so that the baby has the opportunity to grow and develop physically in the most comfortable conditions.

Exercising improves blood circulation, which has a positive effect on sleep quality, digestion and appetite. In addition, exercises for newborns help strengthen ligaments and joints. All this will have a positive effect on the child in the future, when he begins to roll over, crawl and walk.

Are there any contraindications?

Contraindications to exercise for newborns are hemangioma, inguinal or umbilical hernia, as well as congenital heart defects. In some cases, experts advise to refrain from exercise for certain congenital diseases of the musculoskeletal system and joints. For example, if a child has immaturity of the hip joints, then only certain therapeutic exercises will do, and only after the baby grows up.

In addition, exercises for newborns should be abandoned if the baby suffers from nausea, fever, vomiting, diarrhea. Thus, before starting the exercises, it is worth consulting with the child's doctor.

General Principles

In the absence of contraindications and after the approval of the pediatrician, you can start working with the baby from birth. In order for gymnastics to bring maximum benefit, and classes to become enjoyable and entertaining, it is advisable for each mother in the process of gymnastic exercises to follow the following rules, which are established by Russian pediatricians:

• Exercise for newborns must be done daily, only in thiscase, gymnastics will become effective and useful for the baby.
• Don't force your child to do this or that exercise if he doesn't want to. If the baby began to cry or act up, classes should be postponed.
• For gymnastics, it is better to use a flat surface - a countertop, table or changing table.
• Classes in the form of a game will definitely please the baby. Therefore, during the exercises, do not forget to talk with the baby: sing songs, read poems or jokes.
• Each exercise requires no more than five repetitions.
• Charging should be carried out in a ventilated room, where it is not hot, and the temperature reaches no more than twenty-one degrees of heat. During exercise, remove diapers and all your baby's clothes. Also, on a sunny and warm summer day, it is recommended to conduct outdoor activities.
• Gymnastics for a newborn should last no more than ten minutes, and for a start - no more than two minutes, after which you can gradually increase the time.
• It is important that the exercises are appropriate for the age of the baby, as excessive physical activity can harm him.
• Before classes, you must remove from your hands such items that can injure the baby: watches, bracelets, rings.

Optimal time for gymnastics

Gymnastic exercises should be started an hour before meals or an hour and a half after the next feeding. It is important that the baby is not hungry at the time of exercise, but it is not recommended to exercise immediately after eating, as this mayprovoke vomiting. Gymnastics in combination with a general strengthening massage, pediatricians prescribe in the morning, and some relaxing exercises can be done before evening bathing. Any gymnastic games are held exclusively on warm muscles. As a weak massage before gymnastics, light rubbing with the palm of the arms, legs, back and abdomen is suitable.

Next, let's look at exercises for newborns, which are great for morning activities.

Caterpillar

This exercise helps to train the muscles of the abdomen, back and legs.

1. The baby is placed on the tummy on a hard surface.
2. The adult puts his hand to the baby's feet and slightly presses them forward.
3. Thus, the baby should reflexively crawl forward.

Bicycle

The baby is placed on the back.

Mom takes the baby's legs above the ankle and makes movements that are typical for cycling.

Embryo

The child is placed sideways on a flat surface. The knees must be brought to the stomach, and the hands should be kept on the chest.

A newborn's head should be tilted slightly with the chin down towards the chest.

Then the adult holds the baby in this position for twenty seconds.

Worm

The child is laid sideways on a hard surface. The adult runs his fingers along the infant's spine without pressure andpressure.

Reflexively, the baby should arch its back, and then return to its original position.

Athlete

The baby is placed on the back. Take the child's arms in their hands and bring their breasts down. After that, they spread their arms in different directions, raise them up, then down.

Due to the increased muscle tone, at first it will be difficult for the baby to do this exercise. It is necessary to ensure that in the process of training he does not experience pain and discomfort.

Breathing exercises

Immediately before class, you should do a massage: with the palm of your hand, lightly stroke in the direction from the head to the buttocks, while not touching the lumbar region.

1. The baby is placed on a hard surface with his stomach down or taken in his arms facing him. Next, the adult rhythmically presses his palm on the back of the child, moving from the neck to the waist. Since the child does not yet hold his head upright, it must be leaned against the shoulder of an adult.
2. The baby is laid out on the back and rhythmically pressed on the chest, its lateral and front surfaces, bypassing the sternum.

Exercise for feet

Before performing the following exercises, you need to give the baby a light massage as follows: stroking the back surface of the child's feet with your thumbs, supported by their index fingers on the heels.

1. The baby is placed on the back and with a slight pressure on the foot, the crumbs at the base of the fingers are provoked to bend them.
2. When an adult lightly strokes the outer edge of the foot,the baby should spread the fingers and take the feet out.

Airplane

This exercise belongs to the category of dynamic gymnastics, which includes more complex techniques such as swinging, spinning and more. Dynamic exercises have more contraindications than classical ones. In this regard, parents, in addition to consulting a pediatrician, should first receive several lessons from a specialist in physical therapy. So, speaking of the exercise itself, you must follow the following instructions:

1. The baby is taken with one hand under the chest, and the other under the stomach from the opposite side.
2. Make sure the baby is well restrained.
3. Mimic the sound of an airplane, roll the baby around the room, changing the flight altitude.

It is worth paying attention to the fact that throwing a newborn baby into the air is strictly prohibited, as this will create an excessive load on the pelvic bones and spine.

Using a fitball

Exercise for newborns on a specialized ball is one of the most popular types of children's gymnastics today. Unstable, elastic support helps to develop small muscles and train the vestibular apparatus. As the first exercises for newborns on the ball, the following options are suitable:

• The baby is placed on the fitball with his tummy. Holding the head and shoulders with one hand, and the legs with the other, it is necessary to rock the ball back and forth about five times. This exercise is great fortummy massage and helps to train balance.
• The child is turned over and laid on the back, while holding in the same way. This exercise should be performed no more than five times. Closer to two months, circular movements can be added to this exercise.
• The baby is placed on the sofa or bed so that the legs hang down from the knee. Holding the baby, the adult rolls up the fitball. And the task of the child is to instinctively push the ball away with his feet.

Doctors' recommendations

According to experts, in order for gymnastics to be beneficial for the baby, parents need to create favorable conditions for classes: in the room you need to humidify the air and monitor its temperature, and also prevent drafts.

Having found out what exercises to do with newborns, it is worth noting the following: more significant results can be achieved by combining gymnastics with air baths, as well as using general strengthening techniques and art therapy methods (music therapy, fairy tale therapy, etc.) in parallel.

Those parents who from the first days did gymnastic exercises with a newborn child, by the first year of his birth note that their baby gets sick less often, develops better and masters age skills faster.