When you think about exercise, you wouldn’t tell babies to drop and give you 20. But the Society of Health and Physical Educators recommends that all children up to age 5 do some kind of physical activity every day. And yes, that means babies too. Baby exercises are an important part of infant development. Infant exercise can help strengthen baby’s neck, help develop their hand-eye coordination and help baby learn to walk. So where do you start? From strengthening to baby yoga exercises, it’s time to get baby pumped to move with these baby exercises.

Baby Yoga Exercises

If you’ve ever done yoga, you know how good a little Namaste can feel. And according to the experts, baby can benefit big time from some yoga too! Boston Infant Trainer states that Yoga poses can help relieve baby constipation, colic and gas. These simple yet efficient movements can also improve baby’s sleep, in turn improving your sleep. Everyone’s on board with that! Here are three simple baby exercises to teach your little yogi that can have lasting benefits well into toddlerhood.

Happy Baby

This pose is something baby may already do and not realize it’s actually a baby yoga exercise. Have baby lie on their back and put their legs in the air. Next, have baby hold their feet and sway back and forth. If your child doesn’t grab their feet on their own, don’t worry. Gently hold onto their feet, with the knees bent and opened wide, to facilitate the stretch for them. This is an excellent baby exercise to open hip muscles and stimulate digestion. Plus, it’s just a fun pose in general!

Downward Facing Dog

This is a simple pose, but keep in mind that baby won’t have the strength to do it until they’re at least 6 to 10 months old, when they begin to crawl. Have baby put both hands on the floor and their butt in the air. The best way to encourage baby to practice this inversion is by demonstrating it to them and making it feel like a variation of peekaboo, looking at them upside down and then rightside up again. This playful pose helps with flexibility, motor skills and general crankiness.

Butterfly Twist

In this exercise, start by placing baby on their back and adjust the soles of baby’s feet so they’re touching in the air, making a butterfly shape. While gently pressing baby’s feet toward their stomach, encourage baby’s arms to open to the sides. Continuing to hold your child’s feet in the butterfly shape, gently twist their legs side to side. If baby’s arms are still active, Boston Infant Trainer advises encouraging them into calmness by placing your other hand softly on baby’s chest and speaking in soothing tones. Some yogis say poses like these with a rocking back-and-forth motion can help baby relax and find deeper sleep.

Baby Neck Strengthening Exercises and Tummy Exercises

When it comes to baby exercises, neck strengthening and tummy time are key. “Babies spend so much time on their backs early in life that spending time on their belly is important to build strength in different positions. Developing the back, core and neck strength creates the building blocks babies will need to progress in their development of gross motor skills such as crawling, sitting up and eventually walking.These allow baby to start supporting themselves and explore the world around them.

During tummy exercises and any baby exercises, also be sure to supervise at all times. When it comes to baby tummy exercises, don’t force baby. Start with just three to five minutes a day and gradually increase from there.

Tummy Time

This activity is always in the top 10 list of baby exercises because it helps to strengthen head and neck muscles as well as improve motor skills. This position also is essential in preventing positional plagiocephaly (flattened head shape). Put a blanket or play mat on the floor and lie baby on their belly. You’ll note that your newborn struggles to raise their head, but even this small movement is helping to strengthen neck muscles. This is a skill baby can use in so many other baby exercises. Turn tummy time into a mom and baby exercise by having baby lie on their back in front of you. Do a cobra stretch over them and watch your little one gaze up at you and try to lean up for a kiss!

Football Hold

Hold baby’s body facing floor-ward under your arm. Make sure your arm is fully supporting baby’s belly and chest. As baby looks downward and all around, they’re strengthening their neck muscles.

Peanut Ball Exercises

Since not all babies are going to want to jump on the tummy time train, it’s important to make baby exercises fun. What’s more fun than a peanut ball? A peanut ball is just that: an exercise ball shaped like a peanut. (Some women in labor use them too.) For baby exercises, hold baby on top of the peanut ball, belly down. Next, roll baby gently backward and forward while holding them. This will help them get used to holding their necks and heads up.

Boston Infant Trainer can help your preterm child grow up healthy, strong and intelligent. Boston Infant Trainer knows how to help your children in their development. Contact us for 50% off your introductory session in Boston, Massachusetts area.