What kind of exercise is needed for newborns. When and how to perform physical therapy for infants? How to properly exercise a baby

In the second month of life, the child enters a phase of active growth. He has already adapted to being outside the mother's womb and is accustomed to recognizing the people closest to him. From this article you will learn about how to develop a baby at 2 months.

A baby at this age gains about 800 grams in weight, and his height increases by 3-4 centimeters. These indicators are not true for all children, as each child develops at his own pace.

Therefore, there is no need to panic if your weight gain is a little higher or a little lower than indicated. You should be wary if the baby has suddenly gained weight or lost weight. In this situation, you should consult your doctor.

A baby's vision becomes more developed at two months. He is able to focus his gaze, stopping it on toys or objects. The baby follows moving objects with his gaze if they are not far from him. He already knows how to distinguish between parents visually. In response to your smile or gentle words, the child may smile joyfully.

His hearing is also developing. The baby begins to understand where the sound is coming from. A few seconds after the sound appears, the baby will turn its head in its direction. The baby understands the intonation of the parents' voice.

In a baby's life, the main person is still the mother. He depends entirely on her. It is very important to give your child a lot of attention. The psychology of a baby is such that he wants to be close to his mother all the time. And it is no longer so important what exactly she will do with him - play, bathe or dress.

Take the baby in your arms more often, lean it against your skin. Talk to him. In a soft and gentle voice, pronounce your actions in life: “Mom is bathing you now, the water is warm, pleasant, and now we will dry ourselves,” etc.

Try to communicate with the baby in his language. Imitate humming, make smacking sounds, change intonations, speak softer, louder, or even into a sing-song voice. Observe the child's reaction. He will try to imitate you as best he can. Have a fun dialogue in “childish” language. This is useful for speech development.

So, a 2-month-old baby can already:

raise the head and hold it raised for half a minute;
from a lying position on his tummy, he can raise his chest and head, holding the position for 3-4 seconds;
hold a toy or something else in your hand for a while;
with your legs and arms stretched out, lie relaxed and calm;
if in the first month of life involuntary muscle contractions of the baby were a frequent occurrence, then in the second month
month of life they happen rarely.

Massage for children of the second month of life

Massage is very important for the life and healthy growth of the baby. It relaxes the muscles of the legs and arms, soothes the intestines and helps cope with colic. Massage also calms and harmonizes the child's nervous system. Below are simple massage techniques.

Place the baby on its side. Hold his legs lightly. Move your palm along the spine. The baby will reflexively bend and unbend. Repeat the exercise on the other side. It helps strengthen the back muscles.
Stroke your baby's tummy in a clockwise direction in a circular motion - this will help develop the oblique abdominal muscles and help prevent an umbilical hernia, which often occurs in babies.
Press the baby's feet with your thumbs, this trains their reflex flexion.
In the second month of life, the baby retains its grasping reflex. Take his palm, gently help the baby open his fingers, while gently stroking them.
Place the thumbs of your hand in the baby's palms. With the other four fingers, clasp the child's clenched fists. Raise his arms up. Perform light oscillating movements.

Developing a two month old baby

To develop your hearing, it is useful to turn on music from time to time. Let it be different melodies - cheerful, energetic in the first half of the day and soft, soothing in the evening. Classical music is considered the most favorable music.

Bracelets with bells will be an interesting experience for your child. Place this bracelet on your child's wrist. Watch how he begins to listen to the sound of the bells while moving. If the baby shows dissatisfaction, remove the bracelet.

Do activities with rattles, this is also useful for hearing development. If a 2-month-old baby already knows how to respond to the sound of one rattle, then it’s time to move on to classes with two toys. Rattle one of them, pause for a few seconds, then rattle another rattle on the other side. Wait for the baby's reaction.

A 2-month-old baby will be happy with a toy called a “mobile.” This is a hanging carousel with toys that rotates. Usually installed above a child's crib. Some models rotate when the wind blows or the mother's movements, while others have a built-in rotation mechanism. Mobile phones are also often equipped with melodies that play while the carousel rotates.

The baby will begin to follow the movement of the figures on the mobile and listen to the music. This is a good workout for both vision and hearing. The optimal operating time of the mobile is 5 minutes. If turned on for a longer period of time, the baby will begin to get tired, and his vision will be overloaded.

Exercises to develop tactile sensations will be useful. Place different objects in the baby's palm. For example, a felt-tip pen, a thick thread with a knot at the end, an embossed piece of fabric, etc.

Here's another useful exercise. Sew small bags from brightly colored fabric. Fill them with something, such as beads or cereal. Sew the bags tightly so that the baby cannot get the filling out of them. Let him feel the bags with different fillings. This will enrich his tactile sensations and promote the development of fine motor skills.

Gymnastics for babies

Gymnastics allows you to strengthen muscles and the musculoskeletal system, as well as develop reflex skills. Below are the techniques for the second month of life.

The baby is lying on his tummy. Get his attention so that he lifts and holds his head for 10-20 seconds.
In the same tummy position, spread your baby's legs so that their feet touch each other and their knees are slightly apart. Bring your palm to the child's feet so that he can push off from it. After pushing off, the baby will move forward a little, like a frog.
Place the baby on his back. Gently hold him by the armpits and slowly lift him up until he is in a sitting position. Lower it back down in the same way. Here it is important to monitor the baby's head so that he does not hit.

This gymnastics is performed 1-2 times a day. Each exercise 5-7 times.

Games for a 2 month old baby

"Airplane." Hold your baby tummy down in front of you. One hand will hold the baby's chest, and pass the other hand between the baby's legs. Start your flight. You can imitate the sounds of an airplane and stop over those objects that are interesting to look at. Leave a toy on the table or sofa in advance. Let your baby grab it during the flight. He will be delighted. This game is great not only for mom, but also for dad.
Another fun game is called "Elevator". It helps strengthen the vestibular apparatus and helps the child better navigate in space. Hold your baby in an upright position in front of you. Start riding the “elevator”. Talk about what you're eating up or down. At first the “elevator” will rise and fall quite a bit. Then you can increase the height of ascent and descent. When the baby's face is level with your face, be sure to kiss the baby.

Thus, a 2-month-old baby needs intensive development. Engage with him, give him your tenderness and warmth. Your baby will definitely reciprocate.

Exercise is an important element of physical development not only for us adults, but also for infants. And even if the baby does not yet understand the need for these “strange actions” that the mother performs with him, holding him by the arms and legs, he perceives it as a game, but you know how important this game is for the development of coordination of movements, consolidating and improving some important skills...
At what age should you do exercises with your baby?

You should get the answer to this question from your pediatrician. He will develop an individual set of gymnastic exercises, taking into account the characteristics and health status of your baby, give all the necessary recommendations and tell you when it is best to start exercising. Of course, all exercises must correspond to the age characteristics of the child. Under no circumstances should you sit or stand your baby before he learns to turn on his back, on his stomach, crawl on his stomach and on all fours!

In the first three months of a child's life, exercises based mainly on innate reflexes associated with extension of the torso and limbs are recommended. This balances the tone of the baby’s flexor and extensor muscles, which is very important, as it promotes the development of movements that help fix the posture and control changes in body position in space, and also trains manual skill. After 3-4 months, exercises are performed that are based on innate positional reflexes (postural reflexes), and passive exercises are introduced (those for which the child himself does not make any effort; they are performed by the parents). You can also focus on the reaction of the child himself: if he is tense or capricious while performing an exercise, it is better to postpone this exercise until next time.
What does gymnastics give to a baby?

In addition to pleasure and a good mood, physical exercises provide the baby with increased blood flow to the muscles, improved function of the adrenal cortex, improved metabolism, and also stimulate a stronger connection between muscles and bones. Gymnastic exercises carried out with a baby not only consolidate and improve the skills he develops, but also prepare the very appearance of these skills. If you work with your baby regularly, doing the same exercises, he will soon be able to do them on his own.
Are you planning to swaddle your baby? This is the best time to charge. Firstly, the baby is naked (vests and diapers will only interfere with your movements). Secondly, the changing table is the most convenient place for exercise. You can use a regular one, but first put 3-4 cm thick foam rubber on it.
General provisions that must be observed when conducting all gymnastic complexes for infants:

Classes are held daily, systematically (several times a day), throughout the entire first year of the baby’s life.

You should do gymnastics with your baby 30 minutes before feeding or an hour after it.

Charging should be carried out in a well-ventilated room, the optimal air temperature in which is + 21-22°C.

All exercises are repeated 3 times. First, do 3-5 exercises, and after 3-5 days - all the exercises of the complex.

Charging duration is 10-15 minutes.

Accompany the exercises with kind words and a smile, this will cause a positive reaction in your baby.

You should begin and end the procedures by lightly stroking your palms and fingers over the child’s skin, so that the skin does not gather in folds.

Stroking the child's arms is carried out from the hand to the shoulder and armpits, the legs - from the feet to the groin, the abdomen - from the sides to the navel and clockwise around the navel.

You should not do gymnastics with your child when he has a cold, feels unwell or is tired.

There are exercises that are useful for most children of the same age (unless, of course, there are individual contraindications).

So, are you ready?

Exercises for the first month of life.

I.p. - on the back. Apply gentle pressure with your thumb to the middle of your baby's palm. The baby reacts to this by opening his mouth, slightly stretching his lips forward, raising his head and tensing the muscles of the shoulder girdle and arms.

I.p. - on the back. Place your index fingers into your baby's palms. Make sure he grabs them well. Holding your fingers tightly, the child should lift his head and upper body.

I.p. - on the stomach. Place your palm under the sole of the baby. The baby will begin to actively move his arms and push off with his legs from the obstacle - “crawl”.

I.p. - on the back. Apply gentle pressure with your thumbs to your baby's feet at the base of the second and third toes. The child's toes will bend towards the sole.

I.p. - on the back. Bend and unbend the newborn's legs - first alternately, then simultaneously.

I.p. - on the back. Breathing exercise: Place your palms on the sides of the baby's chest and lightly press on it in time with his breathing.

Exercises that are added at 2-3 months of life.

I.p. - on the back. Spread your baby's arms to the sides, and then cross them over his chest as if he were hugging himself.

I.p. - on the back. Take the baby's arms closer to the hands, and smoothly, without jerking, imitate “boxing” movements.

I.p. - on the stomach. Reflex crawling. Support the baby under the chest with one hand, and place the other so that the baby's half-bent legs rest against it. Place a bright toy in front. The child will push off with his legs from your hand, making crawling movements.

I.p. - on the back. With your left hand, grab the baby's shins, and with your right hand, grab his left forearm. With your minimal help, the child turns onto his side. Place a bright toy in the direction of movement to interest the baby. Perform the exercise alternately - to the right and to the left.

I.p. - on the back. Place your index fingers in your baby's hands and lightly pull the baby towards you (but only if he pulls himself up a little). Then carefully lower the baby to the starting position - on his back.

I.p. - on the back, on the stomach. Place a bright rattle directly in front of the baby, wait until his gaze steadily focuses on it. Then move the toy left and right and up and down - the child will follow the moving object. Do this alternately on your back and stomach.

Very gently pull your newborn's toes forward.

Make circular movements with each baby's finger separately, first in one direction, then in the other.

I.p. - on the back. Breathing exercise: rhythmically, but not forcefully, press your palms on the front and sides of the child’s chest, moving around the sternum.

Exercises that are added at 4-6 months of life.

I.p. - on the back. Turns from back to stomach and from stomach to back, supporting the baby by the legs. Grasping both of the baby's shins with one hand, straighten his legs and gently turn the baby onto his side, then onto his stomach and back again. The exercise should be performed alternately on the right and left sides. To stimulate active turns of the child, place a bright toy in the direction corresponding to the turn.

I.p. - on the back. Circular movements of the baby's legs in the hip joints. Grasping the child's shins, bend his legs at the knees, bringing his hips towards his stomach, then spread the bent legs to the sides, then straighten them and bring them together.

I.p. - on the stomach. Place a bright musical toy in front of your child. Encourage your baby to crawl towards her. First, you should leave the toy close, then move it slightly further away. But don't make the goal unattainable! After the baby crawls to the toy, let him hold it and examine it. Be sure to praise the baby.

Exercises that are added at 6-8 months of life.

Get up on all fours, first with the help of an adult, and then on your own.

I.p. - on the back. Place your index finger in your baby's right palm and use your other hand to support your baby's hips or lower legs. Pull the child's right fist towards his left leg, prepare the child for the transition to a sitting position. When rising, he should lean first on his elbow, then on his palm.

I.p. - supporting the child under the armpits, place him on the table, turning him to face you. Exercise to develop walking skills. Encourage stepping by first supporting the baby under the armpits, then by the hands of both hands and, finally, by one hand. Perform the exercise only if the child can stand independently at the support.

I.p. - standing on all fours. Emphasis on the hands. Holding the baby by the hips and slightly lifting him above the support plane, help him stay in his arms, leaning on his open palms.

Exercises that are added at 9-12 months of life.

Rising to your feet from any position at the request of an adult. It is advisable to only slightly adjust the movements, helping the baby to stand up.

Retrieving a toy from a standing position: bending and straightening.

I.p. - standing. Squatting - "Get Small" game. You can do it together with your child - for clarity.

I.p. - standing. Raising on your toes. You can also play the game “Get Big” together.

The child walks independently and, at the request of an adult, performs various movements: squats, brings a ball and other light toys. Throws a ball, disassembles a pyramid, plays with large cubes.

The child, at the request and with the support of an adult, stands on a cube (or box) 5-8 cm high and gets off it.

The same exercise, but more complicated (with less support, increasing the height of the cube).

Dynamic gymnastics. Taking the child by 2 arms or 2 legs; for 1 arm and one leg in turn; for 1 limb (in turn) perform the following movements: 1) “just hanging”; 2) rocking the child back and forth; 3) rocking the child left and right; 4) pulling up and lowering down - springing movements; 5) rotation of the child. The main criterion is the contentment of the baby.

It is very important to make all movements smoothly - jerking and harsh handling of the baby can lead to dislocation!

We wish your child to always be in excellent physical shape!

A newborn baby spends most of its time sleeping. So nature itself helps him go through a period of adaptation to the new world. In a dream, all processes proceed more smoothly. A newborn is awake very little - no more than two hours a day. His awakenings are most often associated with natural needs - the desire to eat, wet diapers or abdominal pain due to colic. Short periods of wakefulness can and should be used skillfully.

Special gymnastics, which is allowed literally from the very first days of life, will be useful for the development of the baby. We will tell you how and why to do it in this article.

Benefit

Few people question the benefits of gymnastics for newborns: exercise is never harmful if done correctly. For babies who have just been born, gymnastic exercises are of particular importance.

After nine months in the mother’s womb, spent in rather cramped conditions (it was especially cramped in the last 2 months before birth), there is nothing surprising in the physiological hypertonicity of the muscles, which is recorded in almost all infants. Gymnastics helps to quickly get rid of excessive tension in the muscles, the baby gets the opportunity to grow and develop physically in more comfortable conditions.

Gymnastics is not just a set of exercises. In any case, the baby sees her differently: for him this is an opportunity for close tactile contact with his mother. Its absence or deficiency leads to poor emotional development of the baby, to a slowdown in his mental development.

Gymnastics improves blood circulation, which has a good effect on appetite, digestion and quality of sleep: children sleep more deeply and peacefully. Muscles develop, joints and ligaments become stronger. All this will definitely be useful to the child later when he begins to master turning over, crawling, and walking. Dr. Komarovsky, whose opinion carries weight for many mothers, believes that gymnastics and hardening from the very first days are the key to healthy and strong immunity in the future.

Contraindications

Relative contraindications to gymnastic exercises for newborns are congenital heart defects, hemangioma, as well as the presence of a large umbilical or inguinal hernia. Sometimes doctors recommend refraining from gymnastic exercises in case of certain congenital diseases of the joints and musculoskeletal system, for example, if the hip joints are immature, special, therapeutic gymnastics should be done and only when the baby grows up a little.

Gymnastics is not done if the child has vomiting, diarrhea, or fever.

You should definitely ask your pediatrician about the possibility of classes - he will visit you the very next day after discharge from the maternity hospital. For the vast majority of children, doctors allow such activities, and with pleasure: a mother’s desire to develop her child is always commendable.

General principles

If there are no contraindications, it is advisable to start working with the child from 1.5-2 weeks. By this time, the baby adapts quite well to the new environment. A mother who intends to do gymnastics with her child needs to know some general rules that will help achieve maximum benefit and make the process of exercise interesting and enjoyable for everyone.

Engage with your child every day. Only daily gymnastics, and not a couple of exercises from time to time, will be useful and effective.
For classes, use a flat surface that will not fall under the weight of the baby - a table, countertop, changing table or dresser lid.
Repeat each exercise no more than 3-5 times, this is enough so that the baby does not get tired.
Turn an activity into a game - with a poem, a song and a joke. The baby will definitely love this.
Do gymnastics in a ventilated room that is not hot (no more than 21 degrees Celsius), remove diapers and all clothes during gymnastics. In the summer, if it is warm and not rainy outside, you can do gymnastics in the fresh air.
You cannot force a child to do exercises. If the baby is capricious and crying, you should not continue doing the exercises. You can return to gymnastics when the child is in the mood for play and communication.
When creating a gymnastics program for your child, choose only those exercises that are suitable for his age, because excessive physical activity can be harmful.
Do exercises that will promote symmetrical development of paired muscles to prevent predominance of unilateral muscle activity.
Set the duration of the lesson to 10 minutes. To begin with, no more than 2 minutes, then every two days increase the time by one minute until you reach a ten-minute “workout.”

Charging can be done several times a day:

after waking up and morning hygiene procedures - morning;
gymnastics in combination with restorative massage - in the first half of the day;
several relaxing exercises as part of a soothing evening massage, which is done before swimming.

Perform gymnastics on warmed muscles, even if you do not perform a preliminary massage: lightly rub your arms, legs, stomach and back with your palms before moving on to a set of exercises.

Also make sure that the child is not hungry at the time of class, since hunger will distract him and the baby will start crying. It is dangerous to do exercises immediately after eating - this can cause excessive regurgitation.

It is optimal to schedule a lesson an hour and a half after eating or an hour before the next feeding.

Classic exercise for babies from 0 to 3 months

Classical exercises can be combined with massage and air baths. Well, the techniques of classical gymnastics are suitable for the morning exercise, which the mother conducts after washing and treating the navel. Classical gymnastics is performed in a static position: the child is in a stable position in space. This is the main difference between the classical complex and the dynamic one, which we will discuss below.

For mom, here are a few play exercises that will definitely come in handy for the mother of an infant from 2 weeks to 2 months.

"Caterpillar." Starting position - lying on your stomach. The mother brings her palm to the baby’s feet and lightly presses on them with a forward movement. The baby reflexively crawls forward. This is how the muscles of the abdomen, legs, and back are trained. Crawling is practiced from a very early age precisely for this purpose, and not at all in order to teach a child to crawl, as many people think.

"Embryo" The position that the child needs to take during this exercise is quite simple and familiar to him. In it, the child was in the mother's womb. Place your baby on his side, bring his knees to his stomach, and hold his hands at his chest. Slightly tilt your baby's head with his chin down towards his chest. Hold it in this position for 15-20 seconds, then release. Repeat 4-5 times.
"Stomper." Lift the baby under your arms, let your toes rest on the surface of the table and move the baby forward. He will reflexively take “steps” on the table. Do not relax your hands; the child’s weight should under no circumstances rest on his fragile limbs and spine.
"Bike". Starting position - lying on your back. Take your baby's legs in your hands above the ankle and make movements similar to riding a bicycle.
"Worm". Starting position - lying on your side. Run your fingers along the baby's spine without pressure or pressure. Reflexively, the baby will arch his back, and then return it to its original position.
"Athlete". Starting position - lying on your back. Take the baby's hands in yours. Bring them to your chest, spread them in different directions, then lift them up and lower them along the body. At first, increased muscle tone will significantly limit lifting and lowering; make sure that the child is not in pain.

If the child is already more than two months old and his age is approaching 3 months, it is quite possible to complicate the classical gymnastics program with the following exercises:

"Dolphin". Starting position - lying on your stomach. Place your palms under the baby's chest and stomach, and for a few seconds, slightly lift him on your palms above the surface of the massage table. All muscle groups, especially the neck, back and abdominal muscles will tense. The back will bend and the head will rise higher. Then gently lower the baby back to the starting position. Repeat 3-4 times.
"Skier". Place the baby on his back, take one leg by the foot, carefully straighten it at the knee and slide the baby’s foot across your palm. Then do the same exercises for the second leg. It will be like a skier running.
The next exercise is quite complex; it is recommended to start doing it no earlier than 3 months of age. It's called "Spindle". Its essence is in training the oblique abdominal muscles and long back muscles. Place the baby on his back. Grab the legs with one hand, pull the right handle with the other while moving the legs to the left. The baby will roll over onto his stomach. Then practice turning over the opposite side.

You can add exercises on a fitball - both on the back and on the stomach.

Dynamic charging

This type of gymnastics for infants belongs to the developmental category. The exercises used are more complex, all of them are carried out in motion with a change in the position of the child’s body in space. Rocking and rotating help not only develop the muscular system, but also effectively train the child’s vestibular apparatus.

Dynamic exercises have more contraindications than classical ones, and therefore, in addition to consulting a doctor, it is advisable for parents to first get a couple of lessons from a physical therapy specialist. This type of gymnastics is not indicated for torticollis, weakness and underdevelopment of the joints. To begin with, the mother can visit the exercise therapy room at the clinic, take several group classes with the baby, and only after this is it possible to apply the acquired skills at home - of course, with caution and compliance with the exercise technique.

Dynamic gymnastics programs can be different, here are just a few exercises for home use.

"Pilot". Place your baby on his stomach. With one hand, firmly grasp the baby’s wrist, and with the other, the leg in the shin area on the same side. Raise your baby for a few seconds and gently lower him back down. Repeat the exercise with the arm and leg on the other side.

"Climber". Starting position - lying on your back. Grab the baby's legs with your hands just above the ankles, slightly lift the baby by the legs so that the legs are in the air and the head is on the table. Shake it slightly and gently lower it back down.
"Airplane." Everyone knows this exercise. It is better to entrust its implementation to dad, his hands are stronger than mom’s. With one hand, take the baby lying on his stomach under the chest, with the other - under the tummy on the opposite side. The baby should be well fixed. Roll him around the room, imitating the sound of an airplane, change the altitude of the “flight”, you can spin the baby around several times. You should not throw a child into the air and catch him, as some representatives of the older generation do, this creates excess stress on the spine and pelvic bones.

Dynamic gymnastics, according to supporters of its use, allows not only to develop the baby, but also to strengthen psychological trust between the child and the adult. Many experts recommend starting it for newborns as early as 1 month.

Perhaps every parent dreams of raising their child healthy. Many people ask whether there is special gymnastics for 2-month-old infants? Yes, there are such exercises. It is at this age that it is recommended to start doing general strengthening exercises with your baby.

What is important to know about a 2 month old baby?

The first year of a child’s life is characterized by the fastest rates of development. During this time, he will learn to control his movements, pronounce simple words, sit, crawl, walk, etc. It is by how the baby masters new skills that the pediatrician will evaluate his development. Movement is the main stimulator of growth and formation of a child’s body. A newborn experiences a huge need for physical activity, which is why most pediatricians recommend teaching babies to exercise from an early age.

You should know that children’s skills develop from the head, that is, first the baby learns to use his arms and then his legs. The baby’s success depends to a large extent on his own activity. However, the environment and the efforts of parents to develop it also play an important role. A deficiency of skin, auditory and visual stimuli can lead to a child falling behind his peers.

The first and second months of a baby’s life are critical for him. He gets used to extrauterine living conditions. Due to insufficient development of the striatum (one of the parts of the brain), all children at this age experience physiological muscle hypertonicity. The baby's movements are poorly coordinated, erratic, his arms and legs are still pressed to his body, he clenches his fists. By the end of the second month, the tone of the flexor muscles gradually decreases, the child increasingly unclenches his fingers, moves his arms to the sides, and can lift them. If you put him on his stomach, he raises his head 10-15 cm from the surface and easily holds it for 30 seconds.

What you need to know about charging for newborns?

You should start doing gymnastics for infants no earlier than the 40th day of life. If the child has no contraindications, then restorative procedures can be carried out at home independently. But for children with developmental disabilities or diseases, only a specialist can select exercises.

Exercises for infants at 2 months are usually carried out in conjunction with a massage. It allows you to warm up the muscles, the child relaxes, and his mood improves. A massage session improves blood circulation and reduces the level of stress hormone in the body. This is a good way to establish close, trusting contact with your baby. With regular exercises, the child’s motor abilities will significantly improve, he will learn to roll over, crawl, and sit up faster.

Basic Rules

When conducting exercise therapy, it is very important to observe the temperature in the room, personal hand hygiene, and the recommended duration of classes. In fact, there are not very many such nuances, but you should know all of them.

Before class, the room must be prepared in advance: ventilate well, warm up to 22 degrees. If exercises with babies are carried out in the summer, then the window can be left open.
The place for charging must be secured; there should be no sharp objects or corners of furniture nearby, and the baby should not roll or fall during the procedure.
Exercises and massage should be performed on a hard surface. A changing table is best suited for these purposes. You should place a folded blanket on it, and then cover the surface with a moisture-absorbing diaper or oilcloth and a baby sheet.
Hands should be thoroughly cleaned before the procedure: cut nails, remove jewelry, watches, and wash thoroughly with soap.
The best time for classes is early morning or afternoon, an hour after feeding the baby (and 30 minutes before).
The total duration of gymnastics together with massage in two months should not exceed 20 minutes. 6 minutes are allotted for the exercises. By six months this time can be doubled.
During classes, it is important to talk with the baby and maintain contact. It’s good if mom or dad learn nursery rhymes.
At first, you can perform the simplest exercises, increasing their number and complexity over time.
When performing a massage, you should avoid contact with the armpits, fontanel, elbows, knees and inner thighs.
At the end of the exercise, the baby should be wrapped in a warm diaper and allowed to rest for half an hour.

Two-month-old babies are very susceptible to sudden movements, so try to perform all manipulations smoothly. When massaging, do not press hard, knead, or knock on the baby’s body.

Indications and contraindications

As already mentioned, if the child has illnesses, exercises and massage should be carried out by a specialist. In some cases, the instructor may show the baby exercises to the parents.

So, for what pathologies do children need special classes:

hypotonicity, hypertonicity of flexor muscles;
diseases of the central nervous system;
hip dysplasia;
umbilical hernia;
rickets;
any orthopedic problems:
scoliosis;
chest deformation;
constipation

Exercise therapy is contraindicated for a child under one year of age if he/she has:

underweight;
serious heart defect;
strangulated hernia;
inflammatory skin diseases;
diseases of the circulatory system;
ARVI;
increased body temperature;
any disease in the acute stage.

Exercises

Exercise therapy for two-month-old babies is based on so-called reflex exercises, which are carried out in combination with massage. You need to start and end classes with light strokes, and also monitor the baby’s reaction all the time. If he resists, cries, waves his arms or legs, then it is recommended to interrupt the gymnastics. Physical and emotional stress is more likely to do him harm than good.

Massage

This is where charging begins. First you need to massage the baby's limbs, then the tummy, neck and back. Hands must be warmed before the procedure. For a two-month-old baby, light stroking and barely noticeable pressure are acceptable.

So, let's begin.

Place the baby on his back, take his fist in your hand, gently unclench it, and stroke his palm. Smoothly rise to your forearm, do the same with the second handle.
Now take the baby’s leg, stroke the foot, pay attention to each toe. Press lightly on the middle of the foot, tickle lightly.
Using your fingertips, draw a circle around your navel several times (clockwise). Place your palms behind the baby's back, carefully move and close them in the lower abdomen.
Turn the baby onto his tummy and stroke his neck towards his head.
Stroke the back from the lower back upward, then move your palms from the spine to the sides. Pay attention to the butt; in this area, movements should be directed towards the tailbone.
Turn the baby onto its side, carefully run your palm along the paravertebral lines from the lower back up to the head. Now turn it over in the other direction and stroke the back in the same way.
Place the child on his back, stroke his face (from the middle of the forehead to the temples, chin), massage the ears.

Gymnastics

Now the newborn is warmed up enough, and if he is in a good mood, you can begin the exercises. Just like in massage, all movements are performed in stages.

Place your thumbs in your baby's hands and clasp your hands with the rest. Gently rotate your child's hands for a few seconds. Smoothly lift the baby 15 cm above the surface, and lower it slowly.
Grasp your baby's feet (pressing your palms to the foot) and gently tilt them towards you, away from you, to the sides. Bend your legs at the knees, pressing them to the baby's tummy, first one at a time, and then two together. Spread your legs half bent at the knees to the sides, then close them.
Turn the baby onto his stomach. Place a small flat cushion under the chest and attract the baby's attention with a gentle word or a rattle. He must hold his head as long as possible.
Remove the roller, place your palms under the soles of the baby and apply light pressure. The child should push off from them and crawl forward a little.
Now place both hands under the baby’s tummy and lift it about 20 cm from the surface. His head and shoulders should involuntarily move back.
If you have a fitball (large ball) at home, place your baby on it, back down. Holding the baby's chest with one hand and the baby's legs with the other, smoothly lower him down all the way (feet forward). Then turn him over onto his tummy and tilt the ball so that the baby's head lightly touches the floor.
With both hands, grab the child’s armpits (with his back facing you) and “put” him on his legs. Let him push off the surface, jump, dance.
At the final stage, it is necessary to relax the baby. Lay it on its back, clasp your hands and shake them lightly.

Remember that too much exercise can cause stress in your child. Observe the law of the golden mean and do not insist on exercises if the baby is not in a good mood.

Each child is individual, some kids master the exercises very quickly, others need time. Try to conduct classes every day, at the same hours. This way, the baby will quickly get used to the new loads for him, and after a couple of weeks you will be surprised at how deftly he has learned to control his body.

It is very important to properly prepare for charging. First you need to choose a place where your baby will perform physical exercises. A good option is a quiet, warm room without drafts. Choose a flat surface - a table, a low chest of drawers, a changing table. Then place a blanket, soft warm cloth or diaper there.

It is recommended to immediately remove fragile, sharp, or heavy objects away so as not to accidentally touch them during charging.

Ventilate the room so that your baby can breathe deeply and easily. The room should not be cold, stuffy or damp. The more carefully you monitor the microclimate, the better.

Don't forget to prepare a toy for your child. For a baby from 1 to 2 years old, a rattle or a bright thing that will help attract attention is suitable. It is better to give older children fitballs, with which they can perform some exercises. Rest assured that you will not be distracted while charging. For example, putting porridge on the boil and then immediately starting exercise is a bad idea.

How to exercise for a baby

First, massage your back. If you are not sure that you can cope with the task, contact your child's doctor and he will show you how to properly massage. After this, help the child bend and straighten his legs and arms several times, clench his fists and unclench his fingers. This will help improve blood flow and saturate the body well with oxygen.

Remember that exercise should definitely be fun. If your child is naughty or angry, it is better to postpone classes or try to interest him. When the baby is not feeling well, exercise is inappropriate.

Between the ages of 1 and 4, use exercises that help improve reflex movements. A good option is to bring your palms to the baby’s arms or feet so that he begins to push off slightly and even “play”. From 4 to 5 months, children perfectly master turning over from their stomach to their back and back. Later, you can begin to teach your child to step with his feet. Of course, parents should support and help in this case. Finally, after six months, you can begin to gradually add exercises with a fitball, squats, bends and head turns. At the same time, it is important to ensure that the exercise does not take too long and does not tire the baby. If the list of exercises is long, alternate them, choosing only half or a third for each exercise.