Physical Benefits Of Physical Exercise To Infants

• Play pat-a-cake. It’s a fun rhyme to chant with infants while they learn to clap their hands.

• When the infant is propped in a sitting position (head and neck are supported), guide him to place his hands on a ball and assist him in rolling the ball forward. This helps the infant learn how to straighten his arms.

• While the infant is lying on her stomach, allow her to push off against her hands to encourage crawling.

• Gently pull the infant from lying to sitting position. It encourages head/neck control.

There are so many physical activities or exercises that parents can do to help promote the development of their infant’s fine and gross motor skills, as well as their emotional and cognitive skills. The important thing for parents to remember is that when they engage in exercises with their infants, it should be in a place where it is safe to perform these activities and they have a joyful time while doing it with their infants.
Benefits of Physical Exercise to Infants
In the National Association of Sports and Physical Education’s (NASPE) 2002 report, it stated that

According to Judy Towne Jennings, PT, spokesperson of The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), “lack of tummy time for infants can delay their developmental, cognitive and organizational skills. It can also cause eye-tracking problems and behavioral issues, to name just some complications.” Colleen Coulter-O’Berry, Physical Therapist at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta said “Increasing the amount of time your baby lies on his or her tummy promotes muscle development in the neck and shoulders; helps prevent tight neck muscles, and the development of flat areas on the back of the baby’s head; and helps build the muscles baby needs to roll, sit and crawl.” So, parents are encouraged to perform physical activities or exercises that include infants lying on their