Parents sometimes don’t even notice how quickly their children grow. Babies at 5 months can already do a lot of things. They are able to coordinate their movements.
Increased muscle tone disappears by this time in most children. They roll over onto their tummy without difficulty. At five months they are still trying to crawl.
It is important for parents to develop their child correctly and harmoniously and introduce him to the world around him. For proper development, a child needs not only the love and care of his parents, but also physical therapy with massage. Exercise therapy for a 5-month-old child allows you to strengthen the immune system, develop muscles, which are so necessary for the baby to learn to sit and actively crawl.
The importance of physical education
Health activities have a positive effect on all body systems. Complex gymnastics improves the digestive and nervous systems, teaches proper breathing, normalizes metabolism and blood circulation. The most important thing is to strengthen the child’s muscular system, as well as normalize muscle tone.
Without special health-improving gymnastics, full development is impossible. In some children, many movements may be delayed, or they are not precise, which is why health-improving physical education is considered mandatory.
Therapeutic exercises at five months are aimed at strengthening the ability to coordinate your body. They also help the baby cope with new stages of development.
Main goals
At this stage of growing up, the child’s internal body changes, so parents, when choosing a set of exercises, need to take into account developmental features:
- the child loses increased tone, so flexion and extension movements become more accurate and correct;
- the baby makes all his movements consciously;
- rolls over onto his tummy and actively tries to crawl;
- The child can now hold objects in his hand for much longer.
Based on these skills in development, the main tasks of health-improving gymnastics are identified:
- development of crawling skill;
- normalization of tone in muscle tissue;
- develop holding objects for a long time;
- development of unconditioned reflexes.
The complex should also include passive exercises, since at five months the child’s tone decreases significantly. In addition, when performing gymnastics exercises, you need to complicate exercises that are aimed at coordinating movement.
Basic massage techniques
The following techniques are suitable for home use:
- Stroking. These are light sliding movements of the palms aimed at relaxation and calming;
- Trituration. Perform with little effort in a circular motion. Reduce the level of excitability;
- Vibrations or light patting;
- Wallow. Technique of rubbing muscles with palms;
- Tingling. Done with your fingertips. Improves blood circulation and muscle tone.
Carrying out a massage using any of the techniques should not cause children any unpleasant physical sensations.
If a four-month-old baby begins to cry, fall asleep, or dodge hands, the procedure is stopped.
A 4-month-old child can be massaged using a fitball - a special gymnastic ball.
It is recommended to use a children's ball with a diameter of 55-60 cm. The material should not be slippery. This type of gymnastics develops the vestibular apparatus, improves coordination of movements, and helps get rid of gas. Place the baby on the tummy or back, and hold the sides, arms and legs while rocking lightly.
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Rules for gymnastics
Regardless of the age of the baby, there are certain rules for conducting classes. Parents must strictly follow them in order not to cause unnecessary discomfort to the child.
Before charging, the room must be clean, dust-free, and thoroughly ventilated. If classes are held in the summer, and there is no wind outside, then you can leave the window ajar during classes.
An adult conducting gymnastics must comply with all hygiene standards. Hands must be washed and disinfected. You should also remove all jewelry and trim your nails short. This is necessary so as not to accidentally injure the baby.
It is best to conduct classes on a changing table, as the surface is hard and the baby is better familiar with it. You definitely need to put a diaper or towel on it to make your body nice and comfortable.
Physical education for babies aged 5 months involves special therapeutic complexes. This type of physical activity is not suitable for young infants and newborns as their skeletal and muscular systems are at an earlier stage of development.
Children at five months need all-round development. It is especially important to follow the instructions and observe the regularity of treatment activities in order to achieve results. Experts have even released special training videos that allow you to clearly study all the important nuances.
You cannot exercise on a full stomach. Therefore, it is recommended to wait 45 minutes after eating or exercise half an hour before eating.
At the beginning of each lesson, it is necessary to establish a tactile connection with the baby - to do this, light strokes can be performed throughout the body. The duration of classes can already be increased to 30 minutes.
Important! Parents should talk to their child throughout the lesson. You can learn songs, nursery rhymes, and comment on your actions. This is necessary to create a positive emotional background.
Do not forget about your mood - this factor is decisive for physical activity. If the baby is capricious, then the lesson should be rescheduled for another time. In order for a child to be inclined towards gymnastics, it is necessary to strictly adhere to the daily routine. Then the baby will always be in a normal mental and emotional state.
It is not recommended to conduct classes in the evening, as the baby will not be able to fall asleep normally after them. His body will be very agitated, and he will not be able to go to rest on time. It is also necessary to remember that the child definitely needs a relaxing massage.
Massage technique
Massage at five months is almost the same as that performed at four months. However, due to new developmental features, it is necessary to introduce other massage elements. Much attention is paid to the development of facial muscles, as well as fine motor skills of the hands.
The massage should begin with the facial part of the body, using gentle movements from the forehead to the temples, from the nose to the cheeks and from the lips to the cheekbones. Parents' movements should be careful and not cause pain.
Foot massage is almost the same as at 4 months and consists of the following elements:
- stroking;
- wallow;
- tingling;
- rubbing.
Hand massage is given special attention - it is necessary to work on each finger separately. The abdomen is massaged clockwise, the main thing is not to touch the navel and the area around it. The back is simply stroked, you can pat it a little.
How often should a child massage?
In the first year of life, healthy babies are prescribed 3-4 courses of massage. If there are deviations - from 8 to 10. Each course consists of 10 sessions and is conducted once every three months.
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Parents must follow the following rules for a restorative massage:
- At least 30 minutes before feeding;
- At least 60 minutes after feeding;
- At least 60 before bed.
The procedure should be carried out in a warm room without drafts, but with fresh and clean air. It is recommended to ventilate the room well before the massage. To make the baby more comfortable, he is placed on a soft sheet.
Before the session, you need to wash your hands and lubricate them with baby cream, coconut or olive oil. Shea and jojoba oils are well suited for massage. The main thing is that it must be natural. The oil is rubbed between the palms so that it becomes warm and does not cause discomfort.
Special massage oil is not suitable for massaged children from 3 to 6 months due to the high content of chemical impurities. It can trigger allergies. It is also prohibited to use any heating or cooling compositions, creams containing bee or snake venom, large amounts of eucalyptus and mint.
Healthy babies receive massage daily. The first session lasts about 5 minutes. The duration is increased gradually, bringing the total time to 20-25 minutes.
A set of health exercises
Classes include both active and passive exercises. The number of trips is not limited, the main thing is that the child enjoys doing the exercise. During the gymnastics process, you can turn on relaxing music. This can help teach your child to feel rhythm. Necessary:
- Be sure to first stroke the entire body. This procedure is necessary for the baby to get used to the hands of an adult;
- then you need to develop the legs using flexion and extension;
- Next, you need to work with the hands so that the baby can complete the next exercise. To do this, they are pulled to the side, and then brought together on the child’s chest;
- put it on your back and give it a small stick in your arms. The adult gently pulls it up, while lightly supporting the child by the arms. The child’s task is to sit up from a lying position;
- The baby needs to be placed on a hard surface, the adult fixes the baby’s legs so that they remain level and in one position. Next, you need to very carefully bend your upper body forward so that an obtuse angle is formed;
- To prevent flat feet, you can perform an exercise with a gymnastic stick. Sports equipment that will have a diameter of 2 centimeters is suitable for this activity. The stick must be placed on the table, and the baby’s legs must be placed on it;
- The crawling exercise is especially important. The parent’s task is to teach the correct execution of this element. To do this, you need to turn the baby onto his tummy and place your hand under his feet. The child will reflexively begin to crawl forward; the exercise is best done on the floor;
- If you don’t have a gymnastic stick, you can perform a sitting exercise using your hands. You need to put the baby on the table, put your thumbs in his hands, and use the remaining fingers to grab the baby’s hand and gently pull him towards you. The exercise develops the musculoskeletal system well and prepares the child for the next stage of development. After all, most children begin to sit at the age of six months.
This complex is aimed at developing and strengthening the muscles of the back and abdomen, improving coordination and developing fine motor skills. Exercise therapy is aimed at the proper formation of the muscular structure of the body, and also improves immunity. This is very necessary during seasonal changes, when the child is susceptible to colds.
Conclusion
The health and development of the child depends only on the parents. All exercises that adults use during recreational physical education should be selected in accordance with age characteristics. Thanks to exercise therapy, the child gets acquainted with the world, learns to perform new movements, and consolidate elements already covered.
Experts have long proven that physical activity is directly related to parts of the brain. Therefore, with systematic exercise, the functioning of the central nervous system improves. Thanks to this, the child develops much faster, his physical and mental development improves. Also, a set of exercises affects the health of all organs of the body.
Parents need to ensure that all gymnastic elements are performed correctly, since illiterate execution of the exercises will not give a positive effect. Adults should also remember that all children are individual and develop differently, so there is no need to worry if some type of exercise does not work out.
If one of the physical elements causes discomfort to the baby, you can replace it with another. It is important that the child should receive only positive emotions from classes. Parents are also required to consult a pediatrician. He can recommend additional exercises, in accordance with the individual characteristics of the baby.
A set of exercises should be carried out daily - then parents will see a positive effect. It is enough to conduct classes once a day, lasting from 15 to 30 minutes , depending on the child’s wishes.
Then the baby will grow healthy and fully develop.
Why get a massage at this age?
A restorative massage for children 3 months old is carried out to balance muscle tone, develop joints, and also to teach the baby to control his body. The coherence of the work of all organs depends on its correct formation.
At this age, the child begins to lean more firmly on his arms, raise his head, and roll over from his back to his stomach. In children of three months of age, vision and hearing improve. They react to noise and turn their heads towards the object of interest. Massage will perfectly help with this. The muscles of the arms, back, neck, and abdomen will become stronger. This is especially necessary for premature babies and those who do not gain weight well.
According to scientists, massage activates the development of infants:
- The correct emotional mood is formed, allowing you to quickly adapt to the world around you.
- The functioning of organs and systems is improving.
- Intestinal colic and constipation cease to bother you, and your appetite improves.
- The child becomes calmer and sleeps better.
- The musculoskeletal system develops well.
It is more effective to conduct a session in the form of a game. Three-month-old babies have difficulty understanding speech. The affectionate touch of their mother's hands is important to them.
Massage encourages infants to have positive emotions: they begin to smile and “walk.”
When the mother gives gentle strokes, the child falls asleep faster. Movements with patting and vibration give an exciting effect to stimulate active actions. At 3 months it is useful to massage the abdominal press. Light stroking and kneading movements free the intestines from accumulated gases.
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A restorative massage for infants is a mandatory daily procedure.
