As adults, most of us already know that we need to get out and get some exercise to stay in shape, but did you know that your baby can start benefiting from exercise shortly after she is born? While your newborn isn’t quite ready to hit the gym or swim some laps just yet, she can benefit immensely from being encouraged to wiggle and shake as much as her age and muscle development will allow.

When baby first comes home, this can include a few minutes of tummy time. When it is safe to do so (usually 6 weeks after baby is born), you should start exercising yourself. Children learn a great deal by watching their parents, and if baby sees you exercising, she is more likely to develop a positive attitude towards exercising herself.

During tummy time, lay your baby on her stomach on the floor. This should be done when baby is awake, of course. Never lay a baby down to sleep on her stomach, as this has been shown to contribute to the risk of SIDS. Ideally, you should lie down on the floor with your baby. Typically, babies will kick, move their arms and try to raise their heads when they are on their tummies. All of these things help baby to develop muscles.

From the time baby is about one month old, you can help her exercise by laying her on the floor on her back and offering your fingers to her. Most babies at that age will grip your finger in their hands. When baby has a good grip, lift your hands to flex her arm muscles. Make sure that you don’t actually life baby off the floor, but bring her arms up as high as you can without picking her up.

Another exercise you can do with baby, starting at three or four months is the “bicycle” This is similar to the adult exercise. You lay baby on her back, grasp an ankle in each hand and gently push and pull her legs in a round motion, similar to pedaling a bicycle. When you’re done, baby will typically continue kicking her feet. Encourage her to continue doing so, as this helps build muscles she will need later for crawling.

When baby is 5 months old, you can lay her on her back and encourage her to grip your fingers like you did when she was an infant. Now, however, you can pull her all the way up to a sitting position. Make sure baby has a good grip on your fingers, though. Alternately, you could hold her wrists.

As baby starts crawling, and later walking, make sure that you have plenty of space for her to explore. Try to give them plenty of clean floor space to move around on and let them go. Most babies of that age will get plenty of exercise if given the opportunity to explore their surroundings.

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