Newborn Workout and Exercise Program
Fun, Safe Activities for Moms and Newborns
Apr 30, 2009 Julie Warrenfeltz
Develop your baby's reflexes and senses while getting him moving and exercising from day one. Newborns are developing rapidly and you can foster that development through some fun and easy daily activities that will develop reflexes and motor skills.
Develop Reflexes
Reflexes are automatic responses to the environment that protect one from dangerous or harmful things in that environment. Newborns need to develop these reflexes before developing more complex brain functions.
- Visual Reflex: Take baby into a completely dark room and turning on the light. When the pupil contracts, turn the light off, wait 10 seconds, and turn the light on again. Repeat the process 10 times, up to 10 times daily. At the end of 20 days, baby should begin noticing dark and light contrasts.
- Startle Reflex: Make a loud, unanticipated sound, such as dropping a pan on the floor or banging blocks together, several times each day until the startle reflex is given in response to the sound.
- Babinski Reflex: Drag the blunt edge of a coin or finger down the foot, running from the big toe to the heel. Look for baby's toes to turn up and fan outward. This exercise can be done several times each day.
Develop the Sense of Smell and Taste
Because infants are on a strict diet of formula or breast milk, parents often overlook developing these senses from infancy and subsequently have difficulties getting a child to eat foods like vegetables and meats. Developing these senses early can thwart food battles later.
- Sense of Smell: Stimulate and develop baby's sense of smell by placing a strong smell, like and orange, under the child's nose. Say the name of the substance to reinforce language skills. This can be done up to 10 times each day, using the same odor for up to a week.
- Sense of Taste: Baby's taste buds can be triggered by placing a drop of food in the infant's mouth either with a cotton swab or the tip of the finger. Administer the same taste several times each day for approximately one week.
Encourage Crawling
Despite modern sentiment, infants have an amazing ability to move given the opportunity. While pediatricians recommend that infants be placed on their backs to sleep, during waking hours, an infant should spend as much time on his belly as possible.
To get your baby moving under his own power, place the infant on a specially designed crawling deck during most waking hours. Allow baby to use his fingers and toes to propel himself toward the end of the deck. Each day baby will go further and traverse the deck more frequently.
Begin Developing Language Skills
From the moment baby arrives, mothers instinctively talk to babies, but often listening is not as prevalent. To encourage language development, say something directly to your baby, making eye contact, and wait for up to 60 seconds to see if the baby responds. When baby responds with the slightest sound, say something else and wait for another response. Repeat this process often and regularly throughout each day. Practicing the rules and patterns of conversation will encourage baby to "converse" with you more frequently.
Stimulating your baby's senses in the manner outlined will help him develop crucial reflexes while helping him to speak and walk at an earlier age. Provide your baby with a solid developmental foundation early to help him develop into a strong and healthy child.
For more information on activities you can do with newborns, see Baby Boot Camp.
References
Doman, Glenn, Douglas Doman, and Bruce Hagy. How to Teach Your Baby to be Physically Superb. Garden City Park, NY: Square One Publishers, 2005.
Infant on Crawling Deck
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