Encouraging baby fitness

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Encouraging baby fitness

As infants develop basic coordination and reflexes in their first few months, parents can provide soothing and stimulating activities to help them. Try not to push your baby; his own movements will let you know what's good for him.

Even in your baby's first days, his eye-head and eye-hand coordination can be helped by brightly coloured mobiles and toys to look at, as well as friendly people to interact with.

After the first month, you can foster body awareness and confidence simply by supporting your baby in different positions. Carefully support your child in the bath so that he will enjoy the water and start to become aware of the feeling of his muscles.

You can massage your baby. Use no more pressure than your hand's weight with the palm open. Stroke smoothly outwards in slightly circular motions; this relaxes tension, soothes cramps and allows your baby to develop a sense of his body.

To stretch and strengthen your baby's arms and legs, place him on his back; raise one arm smoothly above his head while bringing the other down by his side, then reverse. Always make sure your baby's head is well supported.

Starting with his legs straight, gently bend one knee towards his stomach, then straighten the leg again. Alternate legs- and let him participate as much as he wants to

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Last update 25th Sept 2006