When the question arises about which original gift to choose for a newborn, you can consider the option with a large inflatable ball designed for fitness. After all, classes on fitball with children can begin to be carried out almost from the first days of his life. All sorts of rattles, developing little things, of course, are important for the development of the child. But along with this, one should remember about his physical condition.
The article will familiarize you with the benefits of fitball and exercises on it, and also tell you what classes can be done on fitball with a child (2 months, six months, a year, and so on). In addition, mothers who want to start classes right now will be provided with information on how to choose the right fitball and what must be done before doing the exercises.
Benefits of classes
Everyone's favorite fitball exercises with children have distinctive features, which are their advantages. That is why mothers and their babies love this shell and are ready to spend all day with it. The main advantages of the ball and exercises on it are:
- Fitball provides a decrease in the manifestation of hypertonicity of the baby's muscles, which is found in almost all newborns.
- Thanks to measured and smooth swaying, you can strengthen its vestibular apparatus from the first days of a child’s life, and also begin to develop coordination of movements.
- During the exercise, the projectile puts a little pressure on the child’s tummy, which helps to relax the abdominal muscles, thereby significantly improving the digestion process. Exercises of this type perfectly normalize metabolic processes and are often performed to prevent colic.
- A ball designed for fitness can strengthen absolutely all muscle groups, including even the smallest and barely noticeable ones.
- Gymnastics helps to improve the functioning of the respiratory, cardiovascular systems, and also forms a beautiful posture and increases endurance.
- During training on fitball, much more muscles are involved, unlike classes on a flat surface.
- In addition to physical development, the ball helps to develop the mental system.
- Swinging on a shell imitates passive swimming, which the baby was engaged in while his mother was in the stomach.
When to start
Classes on a fitball with children can begin already from the first days of life, so you can purchase this equipment immediately on your birthday. In the first couple of weeks, the ball is used only for motion sickness of a newborn, but more active actions can be started when the following conditions are met:
- healing of the umbilical wound to the end;
- adjustment of the daily routine (activity, feeding, sleep).
Classes on the fitball of children 5 months or younger must begin at least one hour after feeding. If you begin to perform the exercises earlier, then the harm from them will be received much more than good.
Ball selection rules
Before starting classes on a fitball with children, you need to make sure that the projectile is really suitable for the baby and will not do him any harm. This requires taking into account certain points when acquiring the ball:
- The size. The ideal fitball size would be a diameter of 60-75 centimeters. By purchasing such a ball, you can take care of the health of the baby and his parents, because it will be convenient for the whole family to take care of it.
- Elasticity. Fitball must be plastic. With each subsequent inflating, it must restore its original shape. You can test the shell directly in the store, gently pushing it with your palm, which should spring and bounce.
- Strength. The material of manufacture should not be too thin. Really high-quality fitball can withstand from 300 to 1000 kilograms of weight, which depends on the thickness of the rubber.
- Electrostatics. The product packaging must contain information that it is environmentally friendly and that it does not contain hazardous impurities.
- Colors. In the modern market, all kinds of colors are offered, from dull to bright, almost unbearable, acidic shades. A branded ball can only be natural light or dark color, transparent or matte, with or without an image. Therefore, an unnatural dark color or poisonous-phosphorus color "screams" that chemistry is present in the composition.
Preparation
Physical development, which provides classes with a child on fitball, requires special training. After all, you can’t just choose the time and forcibly deal with the baby, even if he does not want it at all. In order not to harm your child, you should take care of some points:
- Only those exercises that are appropriate for age should be performed. You should not overload your own baby and engage in a program designed for an older age;
- the ideal time is the period before an evening swim;
- on a smooth surface, a child should engage without clothes, on a grooved - clothing should never be removed;
- if the baby is crying, then the lesson should not begin with the child on fitball (3 months, six months and any other age) in order to calm him down.
Precautionary measures
When performing exercises, be sure to observe safety precautions. They will help to freely conduct classes with the child on fitball, providing psychological comfort for both the baby and his parents. You should know:
- With each exercise, the child must be held by the tummy, back, legs.
- Before class, thoroughly clean the ball of dirt.
- It is best to accompany the training with your favorite children's songs or classical music.
Exercises for the smallest
For children from two weeks to six months, the ideal exercises are:
- Swing on the stomach. The baby should be laid on its tummy and gently rocked to the sides, while holding it by the back and ankles. The amplitude of the wiggle should be minimal. Such an exercise can be performed with colic at any age.
- Rocking on the back. Classes on the fitball of a 3-month-old child must include this exercise for the development of posture. Sufficiently similar to the previous exercise is performed in the same way, only the baby needs to be laid not on the stomach, but on the back. Thanks to such swaying, you can form a muscle corset.
- Pushing the ball with legs. For an exciting lesson with a monthly child on fitball, this exercise is ideal. Having laid the child on a flat surface, you need to move the ball to its legs so that they touch. Instinctively, the baby himself will begin to push away the fitball, and parents at this time should provide resistance. So the child will develop the muscles of the abs and legs. It is necessary to do no more than 6 repetitions in one approach.
Classes from six months
In the age category from 6 months to a year, the following exercises should be performed with children on the ball:
- "Get the toy." The child must be put on the tummy and, holding the legs, roll forward so that he can reach the floor with his handles. On the floor should be several large toys that the baby should grab.
- Rack. At about 7-9 months, this exercise is ideal. The child should simply be placed near the ball and allowed to stand on its own for a while, hold hands on the fitball.
- Tug of war. One parent should hold the child by the legs, and the second - by the hands. The baby should be put on the tummy and slowly pulled back and forth (no more than 10 times).
- Airplane. Putting the baby sideways on the ball, you need to hold it by the shin and hands, making rolls back and forth (5-7 times), after which the side changes.
For kids from a year
When the child is already accustomed to the ball, you can proceed to complicated exercises. They include such exercises:
- Jumping The parent must fix the ball between his legs. Holding the child by the body, you need to show him how the ball springs, and then make several normal jumps on it (15-20).
- "Boom Boom". The child should be seated on a ball, the projectile itself should be fixed. The kid should drum straight legs on the fitball.
- "Turns." Firmly holding the baby by the left arm and leg, with the opposite side you need to make several rolls to the sides and back and forth (about 3-4).
Fitball with spikes
If the baby is well accustomed to a fitball with a smooth surface, it is recommended to purchase a ball with spikes. It is possible to carry out rolls on it, simultaneously massaging all parts of the body, as well as imitate walking or jumping. Such a shell is ideal for children who need a long course of expensive massage, but parents can not afford such a luxury.