Our grandmothers believed that a baby who was under six months old should sleep most of the time, wrapped in a diaper. Modern doctors argue that the child’s mental development directly depends on his physical abilities. Therefore, parents who want their child to grow up smart, healthy and strong should pay attention to his physical development from the first days. And the exercises for the child on fitball will help in this.
What is a fitball?
Fitball, which is called a ball with a diameter of 55–75 cm, in the 60s. The twentieth century was first used by Susan Kleinfogelbach. A Swiss doctor used it as a means of correcting posture and improving the condition of patients with cerebral palsy. The simulator began to be used en masse only in 1996. Currently, it is actively used in various sports programs.
When practicing with the ball, all muscle groups are involved due to its ability to withstand large loads, elasticity and elasticity. The fitness ball helps the development of babies, improve the health of older people, prepare expectant mothers for childbirth and restore the shape of nursing women. Exercise improves metabolic processes, positively affects the cardiovascular, respiratory systems, and tidies the nervous system.
Why are fitball lessons useful?
Fitball exercises will only be beneficial for every healthy baby. Kids like the bright ball, they perceive it as a toy, and gymnastics as an exciting game.
Classes contribute to:
- Normalization of the intestines. For children suffering from colic, a fitball for infants will be a real salvation. Exercises for 3 months, when the discomfort is most pronounced, will help to relax the muscles of the abdomen. At the same time, digestion improves, the likelihood of colic decreases.
- Eliminate muscle hypertonicity, which is a problem in most newborns.
- Stabilization of the nervous system. During classes, there is not only bodily, but also a close emotional relationship of the infant with its parents. And during passive swaying, the child feels how he felt while in the womb of his mother.
- Stimulation of blood circulation, improving respiratory function.
- The development of a sense of balance and coordination of movements.
- Strengthen the spinal muscles of the baby, increase flexibility. Exercises for the back on a fitball can be a good prevention of posture disorders.
- Increase stamina and strengthen the immune system.
Particularly useful will be classes for those children who have the following problems:
- hip dysplasia;
- increased muscle tone and nervous excitability;
- constipation
- excess weight gain.
Rules for choosing a fitball
Balls on the market are presented in a wide assortment. It is recommended to give preference to products with a diameter of 75 cm. Such a fitball is suitable for every member of the family. If the ball is intended only for the baby, then the size may be smaller (45 cm). With such a fitball it will be convenient to conduct classes on the couch and on the table.
There can be no bumps on the surface of the ball; the seams must be neat. Various defects can injure the baby, damaging its delicate skin.
Together with a fitball it is worth taking a pump. It is necessary to perform exercises on an elastic, but not rigid ball, so it is better to be able to pump it up at any time.
It is equally important to consider the maximum load that the product can withstand. For classes with the baby, the fitball must withstand up to 150 kg of weight. Also pay attention to tear protection. Such a function will make occupations with the baby safe. Look for a fitness ball labeled BRQ or ABS.
How to recognize a fake?
In order not to harm the baby during class, pay attention to signs that may indicate that you have low-quality goods:
- Product color. It is better to give preference to pastel colors, too toxic shades can be a sign of fake.
- Price. Cheap products should alert. A good fitball ball for infants cannot cost less than 800 rubles.
- Uneven surface. If, running your hand over the product, you feel seams, roughness, most likely you are fake.
- The presence of folds. If, after inflation, the surface of the product is not perfectly smooth, then it is made of thin rubber. Such a sports equipment will not last long.
- The presence of an unpleasant odor. The unnatural and pungent smell that exudes fitball should alert. Gymnastics for children with the inhalation of such “aromas” can even lead to poisoning of the child.
- Colors. Branded products of good quality are usually plain, the inscriptions on them are clear and do not erase for a long time.
Proper organization of classes
Gymnastics on a fitball for infants should begin when 4 weeks after birth have passed. By this time, the umbilical wound is healing, feeding and sleeping are established. Before the first use, the sports equipment must be thoroughly washed.
The first exercises for a month-old baby on a fitball should not last more than five minutes, the baby gradually gets used to unusual loads and does not overwork. Soon, the baby will learn to enjoy such physical activity.
After a week, the duration of the training is gradually increased to a quarter of an hour with the introduction of new exercises that are feasible for the child. For kids who are already crawling, it is recommended to conduct short game exercises. Now the most optimal form of physical activity is crawling.
To increase the effectiveness of classes, exercises for the child on fitball can be combined with massage and water procedures. First, the mother massages the baby for a quarter of an hour, then exercises with it on the fitball, after which the baby is bathed. Such a complex effect is very beneficial for the health and development of infants.
In order for classes to be comfortable and enjoyable, you must adhere to some recommendations:
- Pursuing for the first time, you can accompany the exercises with fun nursery rhymes. This will allow the baby to calm down and relax.
- Extensor movements need to be performed when the ball moves away from you, flexion movements - at you.
- Do not engage immediately after the baby has eaten. After feeding, 1–1.5 hours should pass.
- It is necessary to ensure the optimum room temperature. Being engaged in a hot or cold room, the baby will feel uncomfortable.
- Do not inflate the ball too much. He must spring.
- It is advisable to conduct classes at the same time. It’s best to do this in the morning.
- Do not force the child to study if he is capricious. So you can only discourage the baby for such a pastime, it is better to wait until he calms down.
- You can’t pull the child’s feet and hands during class, the baby’s joints have not yet strengthened enough for this.
- If the crumbs are not yet 3 months old, it is better to put a clean diaper on the fitball. A little later it will be possible to do without such protection.
- In no case should you leave your baby on a fitball unattended.
Gymnastics on a fitball for babies will be more interesting and useful if you hold it to music. It can be classical compositions or rhythmic music that children like.
Performing exercises, it is necessary to control both the baby and the ball. Such activities require responsibility, parents must be careful and observe safety precautions.
Clothes for baby
During the first lessons, it is better if the child is dressed. Later, you can leave the crumbs in something light, it can be a T-shirt or body. When the classes become habitual, it will be possible to conduct them completely without clothes, combining exercises with air baths.
Activities for babies 1-3 months
At this age, the program includes several exercises:
- Wiggle. The baby is placed on a fitball covered with a diaper, held by the legs or body. Carefully roll the ball in different directions. Such useful exercises for the back on a fitball, reminiscent of swaying in the mother’s stomach, are very popular among babies. In addition, they help to quickly learn to hold the head, turn over.
- Spring The child lies on a fitball on the tummy. Mom must make springing movements, pushing the crumbs on the back. You can turn the baby belly up and press on the shoulders or hips.
- Watch. The baby, who lies on the back of the ball, is circled around the axis. It is very convenient at the same time to hold the crumbs by the tummy.
- Football. The baby is laid on the back of a sofa or table. The ball is brought to the legs and slightly pressed. The child instinctively pushes away the fitball. The exercise needs to be repeated several times, it helps strengthen the legs. In the future, when the baby gets older, you can try to teach him how to push fitball with handles.
- Exercise that strengthens the muscles of the abdomen. The baby, which lies on the ball, is raised to a sitting position and returned back.
- Frog. The child lies on a ball tummy. Mom tries to give him a frog pose, widely spreading her crumbs knees with one hand, and holding the back with the other. In this position, you can swing the baby in different directions, make vibrating movements.
Bang bang. It is recommended to perform this exercise for children whose muscle tone is increased. Putting the child on his stomach, we take his hands and make patting movements on the ball. At the same time, the compressed palms of the baby will open.
Activities for children 3–9 months
For babies who begin to learn the world, fitball for infants is very useful. Exercises for 3 months can be turned into a game. It is necessary to lay bright toys on the floor, while the child lies on his stomach on a ball. Mom, holding the child by the legs, rolls him forward, allowing him to reach the toys with his hands and catch them.
Having mastered this exercise, you can move on to the next, which is called a "car." The child lying on his tummy is lifted by the legs so that he rests on the ball only with his hands. In this case, the product can be gently swayed from side to side.
A 5-month-old baby who already feels confident on the ball can learn how to spring on it. Sit on a chair and firmly fix the fitball with your feet, put the baby on the ball, let him try to jump. You can also seat the crumbs on top of the simulator so that it bounces in this position.
You can participate in classes with the whole family. Parents should sit on both sides of the ball, on which the baby is lying on the tummy. Mom holds the baby, for example, by the shins, dad - by the forearm. They begin to carefully roll the baby on the fitball, the main thing at the same time is not to pull much.
Those who are already confidently handling the ball can try the exercise more difficult. When performing it, the baby should lie on its side, and the mother holds it by the forearm and lower leg from the opposite side and shakes it left and right. Then the side is changed.
Children aged 8–9 months can learn how to stand and walk with the help of a fitball. You can give the baby the opportunity to stand on his own, holding the handles on the ball, but at the same time you need to insure the baby, which is still unsure of its legs. If the child is already standing alone, try pushing the ball in front of him, prompting the baby to take the first steps. Also, an adult can teach the baby to push the ball with the leg, fixing his back with his hands.
For children from 1 year
Kids at this age can roll the ball, swing on it while sitting with the help of an adult, actively tapping the simulator with heels and palms, bend and unbend limbs lying on the ball. Parents must insure the child, because at this age he is still not independent enough to engage without adults.
Gymnastics for children 4 years old
At this age, the child usually already attends kindergarten. Many preschool institutions for children 4–5 years old offer, besides the usual gymnastics, classes on fitball. First of all, kids are taught to sit and maintain balance on the ball.
Gymnastics for children 4 years old usually takes place in a playful way. There are several exercises that teach children to maintain balance, strengthen muscles, and form correct posture. All of them are performed sitting on the ball:
- Squirrel. The hands are located on the sides, the child slightly jumps on the fitball.
- Bunny. The same jumps, only hands need to be kept in front of you.
- Bear. The child leans to the sides, holding his hands on the fitball.
Activities for dysplasia
In cases of impaired joint development, exercises for the child on fitball are very useful. Here is some of them:
- The child lies on his back, mom holds his hand on his tummy. Clutching the pelvis of the baby to the simulator, legs clamped in the palms makes circular movements.
- In the same starting position, one and then the other leg does the exercise “bicycle”.
- The baby is placed on the stomach. Bend the legs in the knees like a frog, hold for 5 seconds, then straighten.
- In the same position, the knees are bent so that the feet touch the priests. 5 seconds are fixed, released.
Strengthening exercises for muscular dystonia
The disease is manifested by hypotonic or hypertonic muscle. In addition to swimming and massages, experts recommend doing fitball at home. For example, with a 5-month-old baby, you can do the following exercise. Having laid the baby on the ball and fixed the back securely, you need to tilt the simulator forward until the arms of the baby touch the floor. Then the crumbs are held by the handles, and the legs are released.
A child who is already 9 months old can be laid with his back on the ball, holding his tummy. Fitball must be rolled left and right, back and forth, changing the speed. This exercise helps to relax your back muscles.
Contraindications
Exercising with the ball has very few contraindications. Do not do exercises if:
- the navel of the baby has not yet dragged on;
- the child is sick, he feels unwell, has a fever;
- the baby is gaining weight poorly. In this case, classes are recommended to be postponed;
- the baby is afraid of the ball or is not disposed to practice.
If the purpose of the classes is to strengthen and improve the body of the crumbs, you can choose exercises for the child on the fitball yourself. If you need a complex to solve a specific problem, for example, pathologies of the musculoskeletal system, neurological disorders, you should contact a specialist to select an individual gymnastics course. In any case, playing with a fitball will only benefit the developing child, as well as give a good mood to mom.