Dynamic gymnastics for newborns and infants includes physical exercises that are aimed at developing the vestibular apparatus and consists of elements of traditional massage, as well as holding the baby by one of the limbs or torso.

Today there is a lot of controversy about the appropriateness and safety of these exercises, because poor performance of such gymnastics can most likely cause injury and disfigurement to the child.

Dynamic gymnastics classes are contraindicated for infants with increased muscle tone, congenital hip dislocation and other diseases of the musculoskeletal system.

Such gymnastics is not an officially approved medical technique due to the high risk of injury to the child. The fact is that babies in the first year of life have not yet formed ligaments, and dynamic movements can cause not only stretched, but also torn ligaments and many dislocations.

Dear parents, if you are going to do similar gymnastics for newborns or infants, do not perform movements that test the strength of children's joints.

What is dynamic gymnastics

Gymnastics for infants includes a large complex created specifically for babies. They are aimed at strengthening the baby’s muscles, developing them harmoniously and taking into account all physiological characteristics.

An important point is that the exercises should be done in a good mood and at will. If a child doesn’t want to do exercises, then it’s not worth it. It is necessary to choose a time when the baby will be cheerful. Then gymnastics will bring good results.

Benefit

The complex has a positive effect on the growth and development of the child. In addition, gymnastics has many advantages:

1. The baby quickly learns to navigate in space.
2. Flexibility develops, joints and muscles are developed.
3. Strengthens the immune and nervous systems.
4. The vestibular apparatus is developing.
5. The injury rate is reduced.
6. Parents note that after such activities their mood improves and their appetite improves.

Mandatory execution rules

If you are one of the enthusiastic parents and decide to practice dynamic movements with your baby, follow a few rules.

1. Do gymnastics only with an awake child.
2. The child must be full during gymnastic movements, but at least an hour must pass after eating.
3. Start each gymnastics session with slow strokes.
4. Your hands should be clean, soft and warm.
5. Since dynamic gymnastics is traumatic, make sure there is a soft surface under your baby.
6. The best option for carrying out such movements is to seek help from a specialist.

Principles of dynamic gymnastics

1. Be confident in your movements. As the sage said: “If you are afraid, don’t do it. If you are already doing it, don’t be afraid.” So, if you are determined to do gymnastic movements with your child, make sure that no one disturbs you, including with questions about the feasibility, because at this moment you should be focused on the child. A positive attitude will allow you to become one with the baby, because children, like no one else, feel the mood of the parent and adopt it.
2. Increasing difficulties. Start classes with the simplest movements so that the body gets used to a serious load, and dynamic gymnastics for a baby is just that. With each session, slowly increase the speed of movements, amplitude and duration.
3. Don't overwork. While performing movements, you are in constant visual and emotional contact with the child. If you notice that the baby is scared or overtired, stop for a while and hug the baby, let him feel love and security.

Do not forget that the movements that dynamic gymnastics provide are stressful for such a young body.

1. Regularity of sessions. Do gymnastics every day at the same time, preferably in the morning. Let the baby get used to the fact that he wakes up, changes clothes, goes through a warm-up (massage), dynamic gymnastics, has breakfast, etc. After such a routine, the baby is guaranteed a sound sleep.

Preparatory movements

Start the gymnastics with a gentle touch. Look into the baby's eyes, let him feel care and attention. Then you can perform slow strokes.

Place your fingers in the baby's palms, he, in turn, will immediately grab them. Practice light stretching upward so that the child tries to raise his head and sit down.

Then firmly grasp the baby's fists in your hands and lift him up so that the baby hangs in the air. First exercise done!

At this time, it is worth watching the baby carefully; if he likes the exercise, let him hang for a few seconds.

Coups

When the child learns to hang facing you, you can perform the same movement, only facing away from you.

Take the child with his back to you, let him grab your fingers with his fists. When you understand that the child is holding himself confidently, rock him left and right, transferring the baby’s weight from one hand to the other.

When the baby gets used to this element of gymnastics, you can start rocking back and forth. By increasing the amplitude every day, you will be able to rock your baby forward in such a way that he will throw his legs over your shoulders and look down with his head. Gently help the child take the primary position.

Greetings, dear readers!

Concern for the health and physical development of the child is a normal reaction of any mother who has an infant in her arms. Recently, the so-called dynamic gymnastics has become increasingly popular, allowing you to achieve incredible results in the development of your baby.

But how not to overdo it and harm your baby. What is dynamic gymnastics for infants, where to start and when, this will be discussed further.

This type of gymnastics, dear readers, was developed by M. Trunov and L. Kitaev. To answer why such gymnastics is needed, it is worth thinking about how a baby can be physically developed, since he still cannot walk or even sit.

In order for the baby to develop a strong muscle corset, a special set of energetic exercises was created. From the outside it seems that the parents are doing some kind of acrobatic acts with the newborn, but somersaults and flights are only aimed at training the vestibular apparatus.

To understand the benefits of gymnastics, you don’t have to be an academician:

• develops orientation in the surrounding space;
• increases joint flexibility and muscle tone;
• improves the vestibular apparatus;
• increases immunity;
• establishes a trusting relationship between the baby and the outside world;
• eliminates fractures and sprains throughout the child’s life.

So you can and even need to do it. But this must be done carefully so as not to cause harm.

How not to cause harm?

If everything is clear about the benefits of exercises, dear readers, then now it should be noted what you should be wary of when doing gymnastics. Despite their progressiveness, dynamic exercises are subject to strict analysis and sometimes condemnation from pediatricians. There are several reasons for this:

• Most of the charging is based on the newborn's grasping and Moro reflexes. Normally, they should fade away within a couple of weeks (maximum a month) after birth. If you consider when it is better to do gymnastics (according to the authors’ advice, it can be started 2 weeks after the birth of the baby), it becomes clear that it artificially stimulates the continued existence of these reflexes, which is not very good for the development of the child.
• If the parents themselves have never played sports and do not have a medical education, they can easily injure the baby without calculating their strength. Among the most common injuries after exercise are injuries to joint tissues, ligaments, and impaired blood flow.
• The feeling of speed and flight becomes a kind of doping for a person. As adults, such thrill-seekers lack a sense of danger.
• Since gymnastics is stressful for the baby, the corresponding hormones are released when doing the exercises. Their increased education in infancy can lead to hyperactivity during the school period.

In order not to harm the baby, do not forget about contraindications:

• diseases of the musculoskeletal system;
• diseases of the cardiovascular system;
• neurological abnormalities.

Considering that not always by 2-4 weeks all mothers know about the hidden pathologies of their children, before starting gymnastics, it is better to undergo a comprehensive examination by a pediatrician, neurologist, cardiologist and orthopedist.

How to do it?

There are a number of basic rules that will help reduce the likelihood of injury or bruises:

• Make the exercise area safe in case your child falls (place mattresses or exercise above the bed).
• Start with the minimum. It is not recommended to make sudden movements right away.
• Before starting gymnastics, do a warming massage. The duration of the first lessons should not exceed 10 minutes. Then the tempo and duration can be increased.
• If you have fed your baby, you can start exercising only after an hour.
• Do gymnastics when the child is completely healthy and in a good mood.
• Use the correct grip: place your thumb in your baby's palm and your hand around his wrist.

It is better to consult a specialist before classes. But keep in mind: the technique is not officially recognized by medicine, so you won’t find consultants in hospitals. But even those found on the advice of friends can turn out to be charlatans. So, carefully study the reviews of mothers about this or that specialist before handing over a manual to your child.

Gymnastics includes a whole range of procedures:

• massages;
• hardening;
• water procedures;
• air baths;
• exercises on the ball.

Here are some of the most available:

• Cross. Spread the baby's arms to the sides. Carefully throw your body so that in flight it forms a cross with your arms.
• Spring. Take the baby by the hands, his feet should rest against your stomach. Slowly pull it towards your chest and return it to its previous position.
• Monkey. Hold your baby's arms tightly and rock him from side to side.
• Right left. Take the child's feet in one hand and his hands in the other. Rock the baby in this position from side to side.

More complex exercises are best learned with an experienced instructor.

Here in the video you can watch elements of dynamic gymnastics:

Below is a set of exercises that we practiced with our daughter, and now we’ll start with our son. I’ll say right away that not everyone can decide to do such exercises. I see only advantages from these activities.

We started classes in just over a month, and studied for up to a year. I didn’t take any further risks because opinions differ on whether it’s worth doing such exercises, since the risk of injury increases. It is best if you have the opportunity to hire an instructor who will explain everything to you in detail. Before committing, my husband and I re-read a bunch of information and watched the video. You need to be completely confident in yourself and your abilities. And it’s better for dad to do the classes, since they are less nervous)) But my husband and I alternated, then he and then I. If you still decide to do this, then read the article below. And also a link to a useful video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXw3dECLE_4

Dynamic gymnastics

What it is?

Dynamic gymnastics is a relatively new method of early childhood development. To understand its meaning, you should know that traditional gymnastics for children of the first year of life, which we described in the previous section, is sometimes called static or passive - the child simply lies on the table, and the adult performs certain manipulations with his arms and legs, and does this extremely carefully. This type of gymnastics has a “distant relative” – dynamic gymnastics, which is sometimes also called corrective gymnastics or baby yoga. Its main difference from the traditional one is the greater amount of movement (dynamics), which involves the inclusion of the child’s vestibular apparatus. Dynamic gymnastics involves not only the child’s arms and legs, but also his entire body, with which the adult performs various active manipulations. In this case, the child is not in a lying position, but in a variety of different ones - hanging, “flying,” turning over.

Many coaches and parents consider the terms “dynamic gymnastics” and “baby yoga” to be synonymous, but some experts clearly separate them from each other. In their opinion, baby yoga is strongly associated with yogic poses and exercises (asanas), so not parents, but only yoga trainers should do it with their child.

How did it come about?

There are opposing views on the question of the origin of dynamic gymnastics. Most experts consider it a “young” method: as a method of physical development of a child, it became known in our country only in the 1980s thanks to Western publications that described dynamic gymnastics complexes. It was in these books that the English term “baby yoga” was used, which became entrenched in the Russian language. Proponents of the use of dynamic gymnastics were the famous teachers, wife Nikitina and I.B. Charkovsky, who promoted this method.

Sometimes the history of dynamic gymnastics is traced back to the Russian folk tradition: it is known that village midwives often independently set the bones of newborns, adjusted the cervical and spinal vertebrae, and for this they twisted and shook the children. But it should be remembered that they did this only with babies injured during childbirth, and not with all children, as advocates of modern dynamic gymnastics suggest. There is also an opinion that the origins of this method should be sought in the Ancient East: similar exercises were part of the training complex of Japanese ninjas.

Why is this necessary?

Dynamic gymnastics instructors and parents involved in it believe that the main goal of these exercises is to reveal the potential inherent in the child’s body, to give nature the opportunity to realize its evolutionary programs, and to influence the timing at which the child begins to sit up and walk. In addition, the baby gets an idea of ​​the structure of his body, how it works, tenses, relaxes and rests, what its capabilities are and where their limits are.

Thanks to dynamic gymnastics, the child learns about spatial coordinates (up, down, changing direction of movement), rhythm and arrhythmia, speed, etc. All this increases the child’s physical and mental stability, his ability to adapt to the world around him, and builds self-confidence.

Moreover, comprehensive strengthening of the body naturally stimulates the development of the immune system, and therefore children are less likely to get sick. The child grows up more energetic, mobile, and active. He has excellent coordination, quick reactions, good appetite and good sleep.

Dynamic gymnastics classes contribute to effective training of the musculoskeletal system, activate metabolic processes, stimulate the functioning of internal organs, develop coordination of movements and the vestibular apparatus. The unique prevention of childhood injuries is also important - dynamic gymnastics strengthens joints and develops the child’s ability to adequately respond with the body in a traumatic situation. An older child has more complete control of his body, and therefore falls are not very dangerous for him.

What develops with the help of dynamic gymnastics?

Musculoskeletal system. Dynamic gymnastics is an excellent tool for correcting muscle tone in a newborn. Everyone knows well that for several months after the birth of a child, the child is in the so-called “intrauterine” position - with bent arms and legs. This is due to increased tone of the flexor muscles, which, in turn, stems from the uncoordinated work of various areas of the brain at this stage of life. Dynamic gymnastics helps the child’s body harmonize and streamline the processes of excitation and inhibition, relieves excess muscle tone. It promotes the harmonious development of the entire musculoskeletal system, especially the spine, as it helps the child feel his body and learn to control it.
In a newborn baby, the bones, joints, and ligaments are still very weak. Using dynamic gymnastics, parents “sculpt” the child’s body with their own hands. They can eliminate various asymmetries, clubfoot, and torticollis at the earliest, even undiagnosed stages.

Digestive system. By massaging and strengthening the child’s abdominal wall, exercises from the dynamic gymnastics complex activate intestinal motility, help with constipation, and relieve gases from the intestines.

Cardiovascular and immune systems. Active movement, which dynamic gymnastics is aimed at, increases blood circulation in the body, and therefore strengthens the cardiovascular and immune systems. The body adapts to stress, and therefore to the stressful effects of environmental changes.

Psyche. Psychologists believe that the experience of childbirth is extremely important for the further development of a person, the formation of such qualities as determination, endurance, and patience in achieving goals. Therefore, some experts strongly recommend dynamic gymnastics to those children who were deprived of the experience of natural birth and were born by cesarean section. Such gymnastics accustoms the child’s body (and therefore the psyche) to withstand increased, threshold loads, and to develop adaptive stability.

How to do this?

The main rule of dynamic gymnastics is absolute mutual understanding between an adult and a child. The parent must understand the baby at the level of touch and sensation; Only by deeply feeling the child’s condition, his mood, and understanding whether he wants to continue classes, parents can count on the child’s complete trust in their actions.

The second rule is no less important: you should start training with the simplest exercises, gradually, week after week, increasing the pace, amplitude and time of training.

And some more tips

1. Never do anything you are not sure of yourself. If you feel that the exercise is not very clear or it seems dangerous to you, do not do it, it is better to carefully read the description again, practice on a doll, or consult with a dynamic gymnastics instructor.

2. Never overpower the child’s active protest, his resistance to increasing loads and complicating movements. If such resistance appears, stay at the achieved stage or even return to the exercises of an earlier period.

3. If during a lesson the baby’s body suddenly became very tense and he clenched his fists, it means that he was very scared. As quickly as possible, pick up your baby and hold him close before he screams. If such a fear occurs again during one session, it is necessary to slow down the pace, choose simpler and gentler exercises, and reduce the amplitude and speed of movements.

4. The key to the success of classes is an understanding and friendly atmosphere. If your relatives and friends do not approve of the dynamic gymnastics method, do not do gymnastics in their presence. Their negative emotions have a bad effect not only on the adult’s condition, but also on the child’s well-being.

When to start?

Instructor recommendations regarding the age at which classes should begin vary. There is an opinion that it is necessary to start dynamic gymnastics as early as possible, a week after the birth of the child. This view is based on the following consideration: the later you start classes, the more “fixed” the child’s ligaments and muscles are and the harder it will be to stretch and strengthen them. In addition, the child’s weight is constantly increasing, which means that the load on both the child’s and the parent’s body increases.

Proponents of a different opinion prefer to start classes at two months, when the child has already recovered from the stress of birth and adapted to the world around him.

Where, when and with whom to study?

Dynamic gymnastics classes are conducted at home, preferably in a room that is as large and free from furniture as possible. In summer, you can conduct classes outdoors, but away from traumatic objects (trees, poles, etc.). The air temperature during classes should be 22-25 ° C or lower (for hardened children).

You can perform all the exercises one after another, during one session, or you can divide them into several groups and perform them several times during the day. Some instructors offer a whole “health” ritual: after waking up, the child is given a massage, then dynamic gymnastics, then he swims in the bath and ends his morning with a douche.

Most often, in families practicing dynamic gymnastics, the father performs the exercises with the child - it is not so easy for the mother to frequently toss and twist the child.

Classes are held daily, during the child’s greatest activity and wakefulness, but not earlier than an hour after meals.

How to prepare for dynamic gymnastics?

The adult who will be working with the child should dress as loosely as possible so as not to restrict his movements. The child is naked, his body does not need to be lubricated with anything, but the adult’s hands should be warm and soft - for this they can be softened with a scrub cream.

Exercises must be preceded by a warm-up: traditional massage techniques - rubbing, kneading, passive exercises for the arms and legs. To establish good contact with a child, it is reasonable to start dynamic gymnastics with the simplest forms of tactile communication: slow and calm touching and stroking his body in all directions.

Dynamic exercises

There are several options for dynamic gymnastics complexes: some exercises are quite simple and gentle, others look extreme. It is important that almost all exercises are not performed on a table. An adult holds the child by two or one arm, two or one leg, and wraps his arms around his body. The main movements are hanging, swinging, spinning, “inverted” exercises (upside down), tossing and even throwing onto an adult’s arm, shoulder or hip.

The simplest exercises of dynamic gymnastics are elementary hangings and swaying. To do this, you need to take the lying child by the hands, put your thumbs in his palms and, gradually pulling the arms, lift him so that he hangs freely, held by the hands. Then the child just hangs - first the adult holds him by both hands, then by one hand, then by the other. Repeat the same, holding him by one, the other and both legs. And then rock the child in the same positions - from side to side, up and down. Other basic exercises include spreading the arms of a hanging child to the sides, partially transferring the weight of one arm to the other; small rotations around a vertical axis.

Lift your baby by the arms and swing him from side to side, transferring weight from one hand to the other, gradually increasing the range of movements. Without transferring weight, rock back and forth and rotate around a vertical axis in each direction in turn.

Exercise 2. “Bird”

Starting position – the baby hangs on the arms. Spread them apart with an energetic upward movement of the torso, as if he were flapping his wings

Exercise 3. Training the abs

Hold your baby's back against your stomach. Hold him by his straightened knees with one hand, and support him in the chest area with the other. Slowly tilt and straighten your baby so that he tenses his abdominal, back and leg muscles and tries to stay upright.

Exercise 4. Twist and twist

Starting position – an adult holds the child by two legs, facing away from him. Make several rotational movements around the vertical axis - first clockwise, then counterclockwise

Exercise 5. “Monkey”
Starting position – an adult holds the child by the left leg and right hand.

He lifts it a little and shakes it. Then he changes his arm and leg and repeats the movement. Then the exercise is repeated using symmetrical limbs (the adult holds the child by the left arm and left leg, then by the right arm and right leg).

Exercise 6. “Cross”

The arms of a hanging child are energetically moved to the sides, while his body is moved upward. When the arms return to their original position, the baby returns to the hanging position.

Exercise 7. Casts

The beginning of the exercise is similar to the “Pendulum” exercise, but while swinging, the amplitude of movements gradually increases so much that the child’s legs are higher than his head. At the same time, the adult’s hand, loaded with the weight of the child, approaches, and the other hand moves away from the chest, the forearms cross, and the baby’s body is thrown over the hand from the outside and lies with its stomach across the forearm.

This is followed by a return to the original hang and a cast in the other direction.

Exercise 8. Side scrolls

When, when performing the “Pendulum” exercise, the child’s body is in a horizontal position, and the arms are extended up and down almost vertically, the elbow of the adult’s “upper” arm rises, and the child’s legs are held in a swinging motion between the parent’s arms (Fig. 32). After completing one rotation, you should repeat the same movement in the other direction.

Exercise 9. Straight scrolls

Rocking the child hanging in his arms back and forth, the adult helps him perform a back somersault between the parents' arms. In the final phase of the movement, you need to rotate your wrists, reducing the twisting load on the baby’s arms

To return to the starting position, you should either release one of the child's hands or do a somersault in the opposite direction. This exercise is initially done by two adults, one of whom slowly guides the child along the entire trajectory of movement, and then fixes his body in an intermediate position, resting the child’s legs on his chest.

Exercise 10. Re-rolls

Starting position – the child is hanging in his arms. Gradually increasing the amplitude of rocking back and forth, the adult, with a wide movement, throws the child over his head and lowers him behind his back (Fig. 34). At the same time, at the top point of the trajectory the child already completely loses speed. The descent to a vertical position behind your back should be very soft. To protect your child from hitting an adult’s back, you should arch your back and bend your knees slightly. To return to the starting position, you must either make a movement in the opposite direction or carry the child over your shoulder.

The results of dynamic gymnastics classes primarily depend on the degree of mutual understanding between parents and child. If you do not understand the shades of your child’s mood, cannot determine whether he wants to eat, sleep or play, do not take up dynamic gymnastics. Only if the parent deeply feels the child’s condition, his mood, understands whether the child has a desire to study, only in this case can he count on the child’s complete trust in his actions, and therefore on the success of the lessons. It is desirable that the child perceives dynamic gymnastics as a fun and exciting game, and for this he needs constant dialogue with an adult.

It is very useful to see how others do it before starting classes - to attend instructions at pregnancy training centers or early child development centers. If among your friends there are those who practice dynamic gymnastics, try to see how they do it - “it’s better to see once than to hear a hundred times.”

When choosing a place for gymnastics, clear it of furniture, try to minimize the risk that the child will touch any object.

Babies learn about the world through touch. It is important to accurately select methods for the full development of a child’s body. In addition to mother’s tender words and affectionate smile, the baby needs help in psychological and physiological improvement.

What kind of gymnastics should I do for a newborn?

Caring mothers give their children massage exercises, do water treatments, or prefer to often walk outside. There is a set of actions aimed at the development of newborns.

These procedures are as follows:

• performing simple gymnastics;
• massage;
• game;
• classes to improve the vestibular apparatus;
• exercises in water;
• hardening;
• dynamic gymnastics.

Dynamic gymnastics implies rapid physiological and mental development. During dynamic gymnastics, the baby is held by the torso, arms or legs and thrown up and turned over.

Dynamic gymnastics is performed in conjunction with massage, hardening, and simple gymnastics.

The procedures are performed in the air; it is useful to combine the exercises with a fitball. The whole complex takes place in a playful way.

At what age is dynamic gymnastics for newborns used? Judgments differ in instructions on the age stages of initial actions. It is recommended to start classes at different ages:

• from birth (immaturity of the joints allows the body to support its weight);
• 2 weeks;
• 3 weeks;
• 4 months (stronger joints).

In any case, the decision will be made by the parents together with the pediatrician. Great importance is paid to the health and mental readiness of the child to perform activities.

The benefits of dynamic gymnastics for newborns

Dynamic gymnastics provides enormous benefits to a growing baby:

• Rich interaction with mother or father. Adults feel better about a newborn. The baby develops trust in the new world outside the mother's tummy.
• Maturation of the nervous system, friendliness, self-confidence, and equanimity of character are developed.
• The ability to orientate well in space is formed - the child can see objects around him in three dimensions during classes.
• Muscle tone is corrected - tension is relieved or muscle activity is increased.
• Normalization of physiological development.
• Elimination of clubfoot and torticollis.
• Regulation of the intestinal tract - constipation and colic.
• Strengthening the immune and cardiovascular systems.
• Development of adaptation mechanisms, especially in children after cesarean section.
• Coordination of movements, elasticity of joints, and vestibular apparatus are improved.
• Gaining understanding of how one's own body works - the baby understands its potential and learns to sit and walk earlier.
• Activation of metabolic processes.
• The abundance of oxygen in the body stimulates intellectual development.
• Relieves psycho-emotional stress - falls asleep and wakes up perfectly and calmly.
• Excellent appetite.
• Elimination of prenatal and birth injuries.

There are many positive aspects. When establishing a trusting relationship between the baby and mother (father), dynamic gymnastics will bring great joy and benefit to the participants in the process.

Why is dynamic gymnastics dangerous for infants?

Dynamic gymnastics is denied by some neonatologists and pediatricians. However, the benefits of the classes are obvious - children’s knowledge of the world is much more active, illnesses are less common, colds are more easily tolerated, and all organs and systems are intensively formed.

The baby must be examined in advance. In some cases, dynamic gymnastics has limitations:

• Intracranial hypertension. If the nervous system is highly excitable, dynamic gymnastics will harm the baby.
• Uncompensated heart defect. The load on the child’s body should be determined individually.
• Joint disease at the genetic level. Limitations are associated with high load on the arms and legs.
• Dysplasia, hip dislocation.
• Lessons over six months. The weight of the baby and strengthened joints can provoke subluxations and joint injuries.

It is imperative to monitor the newborn's reaction. Lack of interest or poor health at the end of the procedures indicates the need to stop this method of child development.

Set of exercises

Before classes you need to prepare:

• The baby needs to be “warmed up” by stroking and soft touches.
• Simple massage.
• Conventional gymnastic exercises: the child lies on his back or on his tummy during the exercise.

Dynamic gymnastics for infants video:

At the end of the initial stage, a basic set of exercises is performed. It is recommended to adhere to the following rules:

• Everyday activities.
• The procedure should take 10-20 minutes, taking into account age and number of days.
• Dynamic gymnastics is not done after meals and before bed.
• Morning exercises for newborns are the optimal time to do them.
• It is better to do exercises outside (20-25 degrees) or in a ventilated room.

Dynamic gymnastics for infants 3 months video:

Dynamic gymnastics for infants 4 months. At this age, the baby does basic exercises well. You can add more complicated exercises - rotational actions, tosses, throwing on the hip, arm or shoulder of an adult.

Dynamic gymnastics brings delight and pleasure to mother and baby. If you follow all the requirements and instructions for performing dynamic gymnastics, the excellent development (physiological and mental) of the child is guaranteed.

Dynamic gymnastics is a relatively new method of early childhood development. To understand its meaning, you should know that traditional gymnastics for children of the first year of life, which we described in the previous section, is sometimes called static or passive - the child simply lies on the table, and the adult performs certain manipulations with his arms and legs, and does this extremely carefully. This type of gymnastics has a “distant relative” – dynamic gymnastics, which is sometimes also called corrective gymnastics or baby yoga. Its main difference from the traditional one is the greater amount of movement (dynamics), which involves the inclusion of the child’s vestibular apparatus. Dynamic gymnastics involves not only the child’s arms and legs, but also his entire body, with which the adult performs various active manipulations. In this case, the child is not in a lying position, but in a variety of different ones - hanging, “flying,” turning over. Many coaches and parents consider the terms “dynamic gymnastics” and “baby yoga” to be synonymous, but some experts clearly separate them from each other. In their opinion, baby yoga is strongly associated with yogic poses and exercises (asanas), so not parents, but only yoga trainers should do it with their child.

How did it come about

There are opposing views on the question of the origin of dynamic gymnastics. Most experts consider it a “young” method: as a method of physical development of a child, it became known in our country only in the 1980s thanks to Western publications that described dynamic gymnastics complexes. It was in these books that the English term “baby yoga” was used, which became entrenched in the Russian language. Proponents of the use of dynamic gymnastics were the famous teachers, wife Nikitina and I.B. Charkovsky, who promoted this method.

Sometimes the history of dynamic gymnastics is traced back to the Russian folk tradition: it is known that village midwives often independently set the bones of newborns, adjusted the cervical and spinal vertebrae, and for this they twisted and shook the children. But it should be remembered that they did this only with babies injured during childbirth, and not with all children, as advocates of modern dynamic gymnastics suggest. There is also an opinion that the origins of this method should be sought in the Ancient East: similar exercises were part of the training complex of Japanese ninjas.

Why is this necessary?

Dynamic gymnastics instructors and parents involved in it believe that the main goal of these exercises is to reveal the potential inherent in the child’s body, to give nature the opportunity to realize its evolutionary programs, and to influence the timing at which the child begins to sit up and walk. In addition, the baby gets an idea of ​​the structure of his body, how it works, tenses, relaxes and rests, what its capabilities are and where their limits are.

Thanks to dynamic gymnastics, the child learns about spatial coordinates (up, down, changing direction of movement), rhythm and arrhythmia, speed, etc. All this increases the child’s physical and mental stability, his ability to adapt to the world around him, and builds self-confidence.

Moreover, comprehensive strengthening of the body naturally stimulates the development of the immune system, and therefore children are less likely to get sick. The child grows up more energetic, mobile, and active. He has excellent coordination, quick reactions, good appetite and good sleep.

Dynamic gymnastics classes contribute to effective training of the musculoskeletal system, activate metabolic processes, stimulate the functioning of internal organs, develop coordination of movements and the vestibular apparatus. The unique prevention of childhood injuries is also important - dynamic gymnastics strengthens joints and develops the child’s ability to adequately respond with the body in a traumatic situation. An older child has more complete control of his body, and therefore falls are not very dangerous for him.

What develops with the help of dynamic gymnastics

Musculoskeletal system.

Dynamic gymnastics is an excellent tool for correcting muscle tone in a newborn. Everyone knows well that for several months after the birth of a child, the child is in the so-called “intrauterine” position - with bent arms and legs. This is due to increased tone of the flexor muscles, which, in turn, stems from the uncoordinated work of various areas of the brain at this stage of life. Dynamic gymnastics helps the child’s body harmonize and streamline the processes of excitation and inhibition, relieves excess muscle tone. It promotes the harmonious development of the entire musculoskeletal system, especially the spine, as it helps the child feel his body and learn to control it. In a newborn baby, the bones, joints, and ligaments are still very weak. Using dynamic gymnastics, parents “sculpt” the child’s body with their own hands. They can eliminate various asymmetries, clubfoot, and torticollis at the earliest, even undiagnosed stages.

Digestive system.

By massaging and strengthening the child’s abdominal wall, exercises from the dynamic gymnastics complex activate intestinal motility, help with constipation, and relieve gases from the intestines.

Cardiovascular and immune systems.

Active movement, which dynamic gymnastics is aimed at, increases blood circulation in the body, and therefore strengthens the cardiovascular and immune systems. The body adapts to stress, and therefore to the stressful effects of environmental changes.

Psyche.

Psychologists believe that the experience of childbirth is extremely important for the further development of a person, the formation of such qualities as determination, endurance, and patience in achieving goals. Therefore, some experts strongly recommend dynamic gymnastics to those children who were deprived of the experience of natural birth and were born by cesarean section. Such gymnastics accustoms the child’s body (and therefore the psyche) to withstand increased, threshold loads, and to develop adaptive stability.

Practice

The main rule of dynamic gymnastics is absolute mutual understanding between an adult and a child. The parent must understand the baby at the level of touch and sensation; Only by deeply feeling the child’s condition, his mood, and understanding whether he wants to continue classes, parents can count on the child’s complete trust in their actions.

The second rule is no less important: you should start training with the simplest exercises, gradually, week after week, increasing the pace, amplitude and time of training.

And some more tips:

Never do anything you are not sure of yourself. If you feel that the exercise is not very clear or it seems dangerous to you, do not do it, it is better to carefully read the description again, practice on a doll, or consult with a dynamic gymnastics instructor.

Never overpower the child’s active protest, his resistance to increasing loads and complicating movements. If such resistance appears, stay at the achieved stage or even return to the exercises of an earlier period.

If during a lesson the baby’s body suddenly tenses up and he clenches his fists, it means he is very scared. As quickly as possible, pick up your baby and hold him close before he screams. If such a fear occurs again during one session, it is necessary to slow down the pace, choose simpler and gentler exercises, and reduce the amplitude and speed of movements.

The key to the success of classes is an understanding and friendly atmosphere. If your relatives and friends do not approve of the dynamic gymnastics method, do not do gymnastics in their presence. Their negative emotions have a bad effect not only on the adult’s condition, but also on the child’s well-being.

When to start

Instructor recommendations regarding the age at which classes should begin vary. There is an opinion that it is necessary to start dynamic gymnastics as early as possible, a week after the birth of the child. This view is based on the following consideration: the later you start classes, the more “fixed” the child’s ligaments and muscles are and the harder it will be to stretch and strengthen them. In addition, the child’s weight is constantly increasing, which means that the load on both the child’s and the parent’s body increases.

Proponents of a different opinion prefer to start classes at two months, when the child has already recovered from the stress of birth and adapted to the world around him.

Where, when and with whom to study

Dynamic gymnastics classes are conducted at home, preferably in a room that is as large and free from furniture as possible. In summer, you can conduct classes outdoors, but away from traumatic objects (trees, poles, etc.). The air temperature during classes should be 22-25 ° C or lower (for hardened children). You can perform all the exercises one after another, during one session, or you can divide them into several groups and perform them several times during the day. Some instructors offer a whole “health” ritual: after waking up, the child is given a massage, then dynamic gymnastics, then he swims in the bath and ends his morning with a douche. Most often, in families practicing dynamic gymnastics, the father performs the exercises with the child - it is not so easy for the mother to frequently toss and twist the child.

Classes are held daily, during the child’s greatest activity and wakefulness, but not earlier than an hour after meals.

How to prepare for dynamic gymnastics

The adult who will be working with the child should dress as loosely as possible so as not to restrict his movements. The child is naked, his body does not need to be lubricated with anything, but the adult’s hands should be warm and soft - for this they can be softened with a scrub cream. Exercises must be preceded by a warm-up: traditional massage techniques - rubbing, kneading, passive exercises for the arms and legs. To establish good contact with a child, it is reasonable to start dynamic gymnastics with the simplest forms of tactile communication: slow and calm touching and stroking his body in all directions.

Dynamic exercises

There are several options for dynamic gymnastics complexes: some exercises are quite simple and gentle, others look extreme. It is important that almost all exercises are not performed on a table. An adult holds the child by two or one arm, two or one leg, and wraps his arms around his body. The main movements are hanging, swinging, spinning, “inverted” exercises (upside down), tossing and even throwing onto an adult’s arm, shoulder or hip. The simplest exercises of dynamic gymnastics are elementary hangings and swaying. To do this, you need to take the lying child by the hands, put your thumbs in his palms and, gradually pulling the arms, lift him so that he hangs freely, held by the hands. Then the child just hangs - first the adult holds him by both hands, then by one hand, then by the other. Repeat the same, holding him by one, the other and both legs. And then rock the child in the same positions - from side to side, up and down. Other basic exercises are spreading the arms of a hanging child to the sides, partially transferring the weight from one hand to the other; small rotations around a vertical axis.

Lift your baby by the arms and swing him from side to side, transferring weight from one hand to the other, gradually increasing the range of movements. Without transferring weight, rock back and forth and rotate around a vertical axis in each direction in turn.

Exercise 2. “Bird”

Starting position – the baby hangs on the arms. Spread them apart with an energetic upward movement of the torso, as if he were flapping his wings.

Exercise 3. Training the abs

Hold your baby's back against your stomach. Hold him by his straightened knees with one hand, and support him in the chest area with the other. Slowly tilt and straighten your baby so that he tenses his abdominal, back and leg muscles and tries to stay upright.

Exercise 4. Twist and twist

Starting position – an adult holds the child by two legs, facing away from him. Make several rotational movements around the vertical axis - first clockwise, then counterclockwise.

Exercise 5. “Monkey”

Starting position – an adult holds the child by the left leg and right hand. He lifts it a little and shakes it. Then he changes his arm and leg and repeats the movement. Then the exercise is repeated using symmetrical limbs (the adult holds the child by the left arm and left leg, then by the right arm and right leg).

Exercise 6. “Cross”

The arms of a hanging child are energetically moved to the sides, while his body is moved upward. When the arms return to their original position, the baby returns to the hanging position.

Exercise 7. Casts

The beginning of the exercise is similar to the “Pendulum” exercise, but while swinging, the amplitude of movements gradually increases so much that the child’s legs are higher than his head. At the same time, the adult’s hand, loaded with the weight of the child, approaches, and the other hand moves away from the chest, the forearms cross, and the baby’s body is thrown over the hand from the outside and lies with its stomach across the forearm. This is followed by a return to the original hang and a cast in the other direction.

Exercise 8. Side scrolls

When, when performing the “Pendulum” exercise, the child’s body is in a horizontal position, and the arms are extended up and down almost vertically, the elbow of the adult’s “upper” arm rises, and the child’s legs are held between the parent’s arms in a swinging motion. After completing one rotation, you should repeat the same movement in the other direction.

Exercise 9. Straight scrolls

Rocking the child hanging in his arms back and forth, the adult helps him perform a back somersault between the parents' arms. In the final phase of the movement, you need to rotate your wrists, reducing the twisting load on the baby’s arms.

To return to the starting position, you should either release one of the child's hands or do a somersault in the opposite direction. This exercise is initially done by two adults, one of whom slowly guides the child along the entire trajectory of movement, and then fixes his body in an intermediate position, resting the child’s legs on his chest.

Exercise 10. Re-rolls

Starting position – the child is hanging in his arms. Gradually increasing the amplitude of rocking back and forth, the adult, with a wide movement, throws the child over his head and lowers him behind his back. At the same time, at the top point of the trajectory the child already completely loses speed. The descent to a vertical position behind your back should be very soft. To protect your child from hitting an adult’s back, you should arch your back and bend your knees slightly. To return to the starting position, you must either make a movement in the opposite direction or carry the child over your shoulder.

What is needed for that

The results of dynamic gymnastics classes primarily depend on the degree of mutual understanding between parents and child. If you do not understand the shades of your child’s mood, cannot determine whether he wants to eat, sleep or play, do not take up dynamic gymnastics. Only if the parent deeply feels the child’s condition, his mood, understands whether the child has a desire to study, only in this case can he count on the child’s complete trust in his actions, and therefore on the success of the lessons. It is desirable that the child perceives dynamic gymnastics as a fun and exciting game, and for this he needs constant dialogue with an adult.

It is very useful to see how others do it before starting classes - to attend instructions at pregnancy training centers or early child development centers. If among your friends there are those who practice dynamic gymnastics, try to see how they do it - “it’s better to see once than to hear a hundred times.”

When choosing a place for gymnastics, clear it of furniture, try to minimize the risk that the child will touch any object.

Since dynamic gymnastics is a “young” method, there are not very many publications about it. We can recommend the book by L. Kitaev and M. Trunov “Ecology of Infancy”. A large number of exercises and tips can be found on the Internet. And it is best to undergo special training in courses at centers for preparing pregnant women for childbirth.

When not to do this!

Dynamic gymnastics classes are absolutely contraindicated if the child has been diagnosed with hip dysplasia, increased muscle tone, increased range of motion in the joints and genetic diseases in the joints. Since these diseases can only be diagnosed by an orthopedic doctor or neurologist, and a routine examination of the child by these specialists is usually carried out at the age of one month, then if you decide to start dynamic gymnastics before the age of one month, be sure to show the baby to the doctors. You should also not do gymnastics if you have increased intracranial pressure or uncompensated heart disease.

Classes should be stopped immediately if the child cries, if trembling of the arms and legs and other signs of abnormalities appear.

See also:

Dinamicheskaja_gimnastika.txt · Last changes: 2012/11/19 14:47 (external change)