When we see our baby, we think he is just spending a lot of time lying around. But the fact is that he actually daily gets in a vigorous workout in one way or the other. He is exercising his little muscles every time whether it is wriggling during a diaper change or patting any object. These strength-building activities help in the development of the motor skills of the baby.
An infant is happy who is eager to play and learn as the more physical activity leads to a tired child who sleeps more restfully and gets less fussy. You can be your baby’s personal trainer by doing these simple exercises with him. It will keep you also active throughout the day and shed off some extra weight! If you are a new parent you should visit a good parenting blog.
Simple Exercises which you can do with your baby
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Tummy Tuck
An infant spends a lot of time on his back. It will help to build the muscles in shoulders, back, arms, neck, and tummy. It can be done as soon as the baby arrives home.
Place your baby on his tummy for 3-to-5 minutes and get yourself too in the same position facing towards him. You can talk, smile, sing or engage him in the ways he feels happy. You can also give him body massage like this. Gradually you can increase and reach up to at least 20 minutes a day.
As he grows up you can put attractive toys in front of him to increase his reach. He would want to reach out for it, kick, look around or grasp. It will help in building muscles strong. Once he will be able to roll over on his own, continue this tummy exercise even after that. It will be really beneficial for him.
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Sit-ups
Pull your baby up into a sitting position. Gently grasp the forearms and pull him towards you while he is on his back. It can be started around the age of 6-weeks. You can also place your hands behind his head to support. He will feel as if you are playing with him and he will surely love to get this done again and again.
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Cycling
It is an age-old belief that cycling your baby’s legs helps him to relieve gas. The air gets pushed out of the system naturally and also helps to increase flexibility. Put him on his back and gently move his legs as if he is pedaling a bicycle. You can do this twice or thrice in a day.
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Weightlifting
Weight lifting can be done around 3 or 4 months. Put toys, rattles or other objects of different sizes and shapes. Encourage him to lift the various objects according to his own choice. He will lift it, analyze it and put it back. It is a great way to build his grasping ability, develop the muscles and improve hand-eye coordination. Initially, you can demonstrate how to lift an object. If it will make a sound, it will be more interesting for him.
