It is no secret that in the first year of their life, children develop most rapidly. Indeed, for such a short period of time, they need to learn a huge number of things: sit, walk, hold various objects with their hands. Yes, a lot more. But in the very first months of his life, the baby only adapts to a world that is still alien to him. Some newborns can sleep 20-22 hours a day, so there is simply no time left for independent full-fledged training of the muscle apparatus.
That is why the topic of today's article will be massage and gymnastics for children up to a year. How exactly is it better to perform such a procedure, why is it needed and what benefits can the child bring? This will be discussed.
What is a massage
It is unlikely that anyone can dispute the fact that a child needs a massage. First of all, this procedure affects the state of the baby’s muscular system and helps to improve its motor activity. Also, massage favorably affects the development of the nervous system of the crumbs, improves motor skills.
These are the minutes of communication between the two most dear people. Scientists have unequivocally established that a child who receives up to a year a sufficient number of mother's touches develops much faster and better than her peers who are deprived of such contact.
The massage procedure can be preventive and therapeutic. In the first case, mom can cope with it on her own. In this case, massage at 9-12 months is especially useful, although it is worth starting already a month after birth.
Therapeutic massage can only be prescribed by a doctor. Yes, and he should conduct it too. Using this procedure, you can cope with various diseases of the musculoskeletal system, alleviate the condition of the child with asthma or long-term treatment of pathologies of the respiratory system.
Gymnastics and massage for babies
Preventive massage for a child up to six months significantly improves blood circulation and respiration of the crumbs, tones the nervous system, improves the baby’s mood and prepares him for future motor activity.
Before starting such a procedure, you need to familiarize yourself with the technique of its implementation. You can contact your local nurse or pediatrician for advice. Please note that all movements should mainly be reduced to light stroking and patting. Stronger exposure can damage the baby’s delicate body.
Up to six months of age, babies are most often given a full body massage. Massage in 9-12 months is more aimed at strengthening the musculoskeletal system. A general session at this age is usually indicated for children with loose skin or muscles, prone to rickets, or with signs of malnutrition.
Basic rules of execution
- During the session, use different techniques: stroking, rubbing, kneading, patting. Alternate exercises.
- It is best to carry out the procedure on the table. Take the bike blanket and fold it 4 times. Put the blanket on the table, spread the oilcloth on top, and then the bike diaper.
- Perform massage with clean, warm and dry hands. Make sure that there are no rings on the fingers, but on the wrist of the watch.
- Never start the procedure if you have long sharp nails, burrs on the fingers. Also, do not massage if you have calloused skin of your hands, there are wounds or abscesses.
- Perform each movement slowly and repeat no more than 5 times.
- Try to maintain visual and verbal contact with your child. Smile to the baby, talk to him gently, you can sing a quiet quiet song.
- Observe the regimen. Do not massage more than once a day. The procedure is performed 1 hour before or after a meal.
We develop walking skills
Foot massage for children under one year of age develops the ligamentous apparatus of the child and prepares the baby for walking. Although a free and confident gait is developed only by the end of the second year of life, it is necessary to begin its formation much earlier. This is facilitated by massage 9-12 months of life. At this age, children are already able to perform simple gymnastic exercises. These include, for example, the following:
- Getting up from a lying or sitting position. You need to take the child under the armpits, slightly raise and slowly put on its legs. You can spring a little by performing a simulation of jumps. It is necessary to ensure that the child, being in an upright position, rests tightly on the entire surface of the foot. The exercise should be repeated up to 10 times throughout the day.
- It is very useful to stimulate standing up, placing an interesting toy a little higher than a sitting child. Trying to get it, the baby will tend to stand up on his own.
From this age, abdominal and back muscle development exercises are very useful:
- Sit or stand behind the baby. With one hand, hold the baby by the front of the thighs, and the other by the stomach. Tilt the baby's body slightly and carefully remove your hand from the belly of the baby. The child reflexively leans forward, and then straightens on his own. At the same time, the baby involuntarily strains the necessary muscles.
Performing developmental exercises, it is not necessary to ensure that the baby sat down, stood up and went prematurely. This can lead to injuries and deformations of the skeleton, scoliosis and other unpleasant consequences.
Gymnastics at 9-12 months
Baby massage at 9-12 months is quite different from the "baby" procedure. Although all movements remain smooth and pleasant, many of them are aimed at developing the activity of the child. During this period, it is not so much the massage itself that is relevant as the developing gymnastic exercises. For example, such:
- Flexion / extension of the legs at the knees.
- The work of the hands in the elbow joints imitates the movement of a boxer.
- Exercise "Kucher" - wave-like movements of the hands as the driver does, chasing the horse with a whip.
- Turns of the pelvis from a supine position with legs bent at the knees.
- Torso Put the child on the floor, holding your knees with your hands, ask the baby to give you any object lying on the floor.
- "Swimming" on the ball. Take a large ball, such as a beach ball or a fitball. Lay the baby face down on it and gently rock it back and forth. Hold your baby to avoid falling.
- Exercises for the deflection of the spine. Put the child on his back and firmly grasping the handles, carefully lift him first to a sitting position, and then to a standing position and vice versa.
Also at this age, massage of the feet, back, buttocks and tummy have an excellent effect. Circular strokes in the area around the navel help solve the problem of colic. Gentle massage of the back and buttocks have a calming effect, promote sound sleep and good appetite.
The “Pilot” exercise is very useful: holding the baby under the tummy, lift it into the air in a horizontal position and circle a little. The baby reflexively strains all muscle groups and trains them.
Exercises for 1 year old babies
After 9-12 months, no one cancels the massage either. But still it is more and more replaced by game and training exercises. Massage movements, however, are less and less like stroking and tingling and are more like an “adult” version, only in a very lightweight form.
To the previously described exercises, you can add the following:
- "Bicycle" - an imitation of riding on this type of transport in a supine position.
- Squat and crawl, imitation of movement of animals.
- Climbing low stairs to a sofa, chair or chair.
- Turning the body, rolling or throwing the ball.
- “The bridge is the other way around” - put the child on the tummy, grab the handles and pull up a little, causing the baby to bend in the lower back.
The benefits of massage for children up to a year
Correct and regular classes with the child, of course, will bring only a positive effect.
- Strengthening the muscular system and musculoskeletal system.
- Removal of hypertonicity.
- Prevention of physical inactivity and rickets.
- Organization of the proper functioning of the digestive system, elimination of colic problems.
- Strengthening the immune system and nervous system.
- Healthy sleep and appetite.
- The development of motility and vestibular apparatus.
And this is not a complete list of all the benefits. Everyone can add a few more points to it.
Contraindications
However, there are moments at which it is not just impossible for the child to massage the child, but rather dangerous:
- heart disease;
- large hernias;
- hepatitis;
- rickets;
- acute nephritis and other diseases of the internal organs;
- bone tuberculosis, acute arthritis;
- various abscesses.
It is also not worth doing massage during any other illness in the acute and subacute period. Especially if there is an increase in temperature, vomiting or diarrhea. There is a fairly small list of diseases in which massage is not only not prohibited, but also allows you to recover faster. These include torticollis, flat feet, umbilical hernia, asthma, dystrophy, deformity of the legs and some others. But all procedures in this case should be carried out exclusively by a doctor.