By the fourth month of life, there are significant changes in the physical development of the child. This is no longer a helpless newborn, but a conscious infant. He knows how to raise and hold his head, control the arms and grip the toy, looks around with interest, mastering coups. To consolidate these achievements, gymnastics is needed for a 4 month old baby.
Infant 4 months old achieves significant changes in physical development
The benefits of gymnastics for a 4 month old baby
Children's doctor Komarovsky recommends starting the simplest exercises from two months in order to teach the baby more complex actions at four. Gymnastics will help to master new motor skills, prepare for crawling, improve well-being, strengthen immunity, cardiovascular system, and remove the remnants of muscle tone.
Each parent is able to create the necessary conditions for classes, one has only to listen to the recommendations of specialists. When organizing homework, you should adhere to the following rules:
- you need to encourage the baby to physical activity every day, be sure to turn on the exercise in the daily routine,
- performing active movements is possible only after warming up the muscles with preliminary massage,
- selection of exercises is necessary in accordance with the individual characteristics of the baby,
- it is useful to comment on each action to create a positive emotional mood in the baby.
Children's gymnastics technique
Gymnastics for babies 3-4 months is a complex of two types of actions:
- passive actions are performed by an adult;
- active actions - the adult encourages the baby to be actively involved.
During gymnastics, it is advisable to adhere to an algorithm that helps to develop useful skills and habits:
- Preparatory massage movements - the arms and legs of the crumbs are gently kneaded upward;
During the massage, an adult strokes the baby's tummy and chest, back and buttocks in a circular motion
- Passive actions - the child is calm, the adult stimulates the muscles of his arms and legs;
- The actions of the child himself - vigorous movements with a coup, the urge to crawl and fitball;
- The lesson ends with relaxation - gentle body stroking to music.
Recommended exercises for 4 months
The period of wakefulness of a four-month-old child increases, so it is easy to find a suitable time for physical education. The main thing is that the crumbs by this moment have a positive attitude. Gymnastics for a 4-month-old baby begins with the simplest techniques. They are easy to find in the medical literature, on a children's website, or join popular online workouts.
Important! For any parenting choice, professional advice is essential. Only the pediatrician will determine which movements are useful and which are not suitable for the baby.
Charging for babies 4 months
- Reception "we are boxers" works to strengthen the muscles of the neck, upper body. The kid is lying on his back. The mother makes movements with the baby's hands, similar to boxing attacks, saying: “A blacksmith is coming from the forge, the blacksmith is carrying two hammers. Knock-knock, knock-knock, but suddenly hit at once! "
- To play the “mill”, the mother fixes the baby’s hands with her thumb and forefinger, gently rotates them in a circle, like a “mill”, with the words: “Where, where are our hands? Here are our pens! "
- The butterfly wing movement is designed to strengthen the shoulder girdle. The arms are carefully spread apart, then returned to their previous position on the chest. The action ends with circular movements similar to the fluttering of wings: "The butterfly flew in, waved its wings."
- With the help of the "butterfly", the muscles of the legs can be developed in the same way: the legs bent at the knees are parted and returned to their original position.
- The game "ride a bike" is even played with a newborn and serves to develop the joints of the knees, thigh muscles, and lower limbs. You need to grab the baby's legs and alternately bend them at the knees with the words: “Let's go, let's go, for mushrooms and nuts! Over ravines and stones, over bumps and roots! Into the hole - boo! "
Gymnastics complex for a child at 4 months
Exercise "frog" helps to acquire the skill of crawling
- The baby in the "frog" position is placed on his stomach, with his hand gently pressing on the feet so that the legs are bent as much as possible at the hip and knee joints. Then they encourage the baby to move forward. It is helpful to have a bright object in front of you for motivation.
- For "coups" the baby lies on his back. The adult places his index finger in his right handle, encouraging him to grasp it tightly. Making a movement, you need to hold the child by the left side of the body, pull his hand towards you and gently make a turn from the back to the stomach on the left. The flip on the right is done in the same way.
- The caterpillar movement develops crawling skills. The baby stretches out like a caterpillar: lies on his stomach, arms are extended forward. Mom puts her hand on the baby's legs and presses lightly, pushing forward and forcing the baby to move. When the arms begin to bend, it is necessary to return the body to its original position. A bright toy will also become a motive for movement.
- A useful exercise, sliding steps, is performed while lying on your stomach. The baby's legs are correctly covered: the adult's thumbs are located on the outside, all the rest on the inside. Shaking slightly, the child's legs are straightened, then bent again. The heels glide smoothly across the table.
Gymnastics for babies on fitball
To strengthen the muscles of the back and abdomen, the use of gymnastic equipment is effective. The most accessible of them is a ball or fitball. Fitball exercises help eliminate colic, improve the functioning of the digestive system. Exercises for a 4 month old baby should be simple to perform. The main thing is that the baby should feel pleasure from the procedure on the ball, the adult should show maximum attention. First, rolling is performed on the tummy, then similarly on the back.
The baby is laid out with his stomach on the ball, holding and gently rolling back and forth, left and right
Gymnastics for children 4 months old with dysplasia
If a baby has a dislocation of the hip joint (dysplasia), he needs special gymnastics.
Signs of dysplasia:
- difficulty in breeding towards children's legs,
- click in the hip joint,
- asymmetrical folds,
- uneven limb length.
Having noticed this, parents should consult a podiatrist. A timely diagnosis will correct the formation of the hip joint. For treatment, a specialist will definitely recommend exercise therapy.
Gymnastics for a 4 month old child with dysplasia is carried out in a complex way:
- Special massage: light and gentle rubbing of the legs from the lower leg to the thigh. Then massaging the baby's foot and gently turning it in different directions. Next is a warm-up: with movements in a spiral, they move from the foot to the lower leg with a fairly strong pressure.
- Corrective techniques:
- Alternating legs: one is held on the surface, the other is pressed against the tummy.
- Extension of the right-left legs and two together while moving the knee joints to the side. If the movement makes the child uncomfortable, stop it.
- Circular movements of the child's heels.
Exercise to pull the legs to the head
- At the beginning, a simple action is performed four, five times, for complication, one is added daily.
- They move on to a more complex complex with a baby after a few weeks, discussing all actions with a pediatrician. A preparatory massage is carried out in a similar way, only already lying on the tummy. Main condition - all movements only after warming up the muscles:
- bend the hip joints to the maximum and pull the knees of the crumbs opposite to the elbows;
- the legs are spread apart, trying to touch the buttocks with the heels, it is important to fix the baby in this position for a few seconds.
Special advice for parents
- In the warm season, it is useful to carry out movements in the fresh air, without clothes. According to Dr. Komarovsky, this is how gymnastics and hardening are combined.
- For children with chronic diseases, exercises are selected only with the permission of the pediatrician.
- A good time for exercise is the first half of the day, so as not to excite the baby before bedding at night. It is important to observe the duration - 15 minutes, gradually bringing to 25.
- Cheerful music accompanying the movements will help set up the child in a positive way.
It is useful to supplement gymnastic exercises with water procedures, developing swimming skills
Important! Gymnastics must be carried out taking into account the mood and condition of the baby. With whims, lack of sleep, elevated temperature, it is better to postpone all vigorous movements.
Caring parents with the help of gymnastics for babies 4 months old can not only carry out the physical development of the child and strengthen his body, but also diversify communication, establish emotional contacts. Just a few minutes a day is enough to strengthen the muscles and joints of the child, instill in him a lot of positive skills.
