Emergence in the house of the kid is always connected with cares of his health and the correct development. Long ago there passed those times when the baby for days on end just lay in a bed, densely wrapped up in a diaper. Today most of young mothers try to give to the child total freedom of movements since his birth. With harmonious physical development they can be helped by a gymnastic ball — a fitball. Let's recognize in what him advantage what contraindications for exercises exist and as it is correct to be engaged with the baby.
Occupations on a fitball for babies
The idea of a fitball came to mind to the Swiss doctor-physiologist Suzann Klein-Fogelbach in the middle of the 20th century. With its help Suzann was engaged in treatment of patients with injuries and diseases of a backbone. In practice it turned out that the fitball helps to cope also with malfunctions of the central nervous system. Today the ball is actively used not only in the therapeutic purposes, but also as the exercise machine for people of all age.
Whether you know? Thanks to a natural reflex, all children are able to swim the first four-six months of the life. Then this reflex is lost, and they have to anew learn to float.
Advantage and harm
Than the fitball is useful to babies:
- Weakens and removes a muscular tone. At many newborns the raised tone of muscles which is connected with their limited pose in a maternal womb is noted. Externally tension is shown by the squeezed cams slightly bent by legs and the chin shivering during crying. Exercises with a ball will allow the child to relax and adapt to this world quicker.
- Develops body muscles. Muscles of the newborn have to train to be going to hold a head, to sit, creep and go. Also occupations allow to strengthen a musculoskeletal system and to develop flexibility of a backbone.
- Develops coordination of movements. The good vestibular mechanism is necessary for deduction of balance and not to be suffered from travel sickness in the car or public transport.
- Improves work of digestive system. Occupations well influence blood circulation, mass internals and help to cope with gripes and locks.
- Strengthens nervous system and immunity. Early physical activity, especially together with massage, hardening and swimming, helps the child grow hardy and active.
However, such charging can do also harm if there are contraindications to occupations on a fitball. Also during their carrying out it is necessary to observe safety measures and to constantly hold the child not to allow injuries.
Indications and contraindications
Charging with a gymnastic ball is shown to all healthy kids for removal of a tone, strengthening of muscles and skeletal system. However in certain cases occupations on a fitball are contraindicated. It:
- chronic diseases;
- diseases of bones and backbone;
- high temperature and catarrhal diseases;
- neurologic frustration;
- not healed umbilical wound excludes situation on a stomach;
- capriciousness, lack of mood.
Important! The set of exercises is formed individually depending on age and the state of health of the baby. Before the occupations surely consult with the pediatrician.
From what age it is possible to carry out gymnastics
If the kid is absolutely healthy, then it is possible to be engaged on a fitball almost from the moment of its birth. Start exercises gradually, since several minutes of easy rockings on a gymnastic ball. Smooth movements will help the newborn to relax and will remind of cozy time in a mother's womb. Full-fledged occupations during which the child is spread on a stomach will become available approximately at three-week age after final healing of a navel.
How it is correct to choose a fitball?
When choosing the size of a ball it should be taken into account that the kid develops rapidly and the small ball will very quickly outgrow. Therefore it is better to choose at once such which all family members can use. The optimum size of a universal fitball — 75 cm in the diameter.
The fitball has to be made from strong, high-quality rubber and not have a foreign smell. As kids pull everything in a mouth, it is better to choose a ball from safe, hypoallergenic material. The qualitative fitball is usually calculated on weight up to 300 kg, has a soft shade, and in case of damage and does not burst, and is slowly blown off.
Important! It is better to choose a qualitative fitball in special shops of sports equipment. It will become a guarantee of its reliability, safety and durability.
If the ball has a corrugated surface, then it should not act too strongly. Also any roughnesses and rough seams capable to injure the child are excluded. For the same reason the nipple for inflating by air has to be drowned, but not coming to light.
It is convenient if the ball is equipped with handles which will become a peculiar emphasis for the child, without allowing it to slip on a floor. Also they will help to fulfill a grasping reflex.
The main exercises for children
Today there are many sets of exercises for a fitball, but do not hurry to master all at once. Choose pleasant and begin to be engaged with the child gradually. The main thing that occupations brought joy and pleasure to both of you.
It is important! That the child got used and was not frightened exercises on a fitball, during their carrying out it is necessary quietly and tenderly to talk to him. And still it is possible to put quiet music.
3 months are younger
For such tiny kid all exercises have to be very soft and easy, without sharp movements. The child of this age still badly holds a head therefore it is necessary to watch constantly that it was not thrown back. Before healing of a navel, exercises for newborns can be done only on a back. As the child's bones still rather fragile, it is not necessary to hold the baby for feet of legs or hands that accidentally not to injure them.
- Cradle — the kid lies on a back, and mother, softly insuring, easily swings him back and forth or to the right-to the left.
- Spring — mother fixes legs of the child lying on a stomach, softly and abruptly presses to it on buttocks, at the same time the fitball springs up and down.
- Soccer — the kid lies on a back on a floor or a bed, the adult slightly presses a ball on the child's feet, and that instinctively pushes a ball from itself(himself).
- Round the world — to place the child on a back on a ball and, softly fixing the kid, to slowly rotate a fitball clockwise and back.
- Skipjack — the child who is well holding a head to put on a ball that will cause active the movement by legs.
3-6 months
The kid already slightly grew up, well holds a head, leans on forearms and is enough the fitball handle. On the baby it is already visible how he likes to be engaged and that he loves most of all. Therefore the set of exercises becomes slightly more difficult and more various. In 3-6 months it is possible not to hold the child for a back or a tummy any more, and to insure only for shins and forearms.
Learn about baby swimming.
- Wheelbarrow — to place the child on a stomach and, strong holding it for ankles, to push a fitball forward and back.
- Fishing — the adult holds the kid lying on a stomach by legs and inclines a ball so that the child could take a toy from a floor.
- We swing a press — holding the baby lying on a back for forearms, to slowly raise it in a position sitting and to return back also slowly.
- Plane — to place the baby on a tummy and to turn slowly sideways, insuring for a forearm and a shin and easily massing a free flank the movement back and forth.
6 months are more senior
The kid still slightly grew up, became more active and more inquisitive and is going to take the first steps. At this stage the fitball will help it to strengthen muscles and to be prepared for active walking.
Whether you know? The research of behavior of newborns showed the curious fact — boys pay attention to movements of the person more, and girls watch the person.
- Zakatushka — to put the child about a ball and to pull it for handles from the opposite side so that it appeared on a fitball, then to return the kid to initial situation.
- Tian — to put a rope the child on a ball on a stomach and by means of one more adult, insuring the child for forearms and shins, to roll it so that the back periodically hung in air.
- Spring — to put the baby on a ball and to show how it can spring and jump up on it.
- Balance — to put the child on a fitball and, accurately holding, to achieve balance then to release hands that will force the kid to try to balance.
For mother and the child
The fitball is useful also to young mother, with its help she will be able to be restored quicker after the delivery and to return to a former form. Besides, joint exercises of mother and baby will bring the maximum benefit and joyful emotions for both.
For joint occupation, sit down on a ball with the kid on hands and easily spring up and down. Thus hips, buttocks are pumped up, and the backbone relaxes. For kids this exercise is similar to a soft motion sickness at which they usually fall asleep. And for mother this way of a motion sickness is much easier as not so strongly loads muscles of a back and hands.
Read also about the best exercises for restoration of a figure after the delivery.
Also during chest feeding it is possible to place the legs on a fitball that will remove from them stress and will improve blood circulation. And a free minute mother can do exercise Cradle, smoothly rocking on a back or a stomach.
Useful recommendations
Beginning occupations on a fitball, it is necessary to consider some recommendations for babies:
- to be engaged only after consultation with the children's doctor;
- to increase duration and complexity of exercises gradually;
- it is good to hold the child, to move smoothly and slowly;
- to train in the clean, light and well aired room;
- the best time for occupations — an hour later after a breakfast;
- for the undressed child — to enclose a diaper on a ball;
- to stop a training if the baby is scared or burst into tears.
Exercises on a ball force the kid to work therefore after them he usually well eats and sleeps tight. Nevertheless you treat a fitball not only as useful physical activity but also as a cheerful and pleasant game. And then it by all means will bring great pleasure to you and your baby.