Let's face it. Even though you want to exercise with your baby, sometimes you just don't have time to go to the recreation center. Between work and household chores and feeding and clothing everyone adding baby exercise to the list of things you have to do can feel like a monumental task, but it doesn't have to be. There are plenty of ways in which you and your baby can stay active at home. Health Services and the Recreation Department of your local municipality can offer comprehensive lists of activities appropriate for the different age levels but for now let us offer a quick list of easy favorites.
Pre-Walking
If your baby hasn't quite managed to take his or her first steps yet, that doesn't mean he or she can't exercise. Crawling can be an excellent way to develop your child's strength and endurance, and your own as well, since crawling uses more energy than simply walking. You and your baby can have crawling races (where you let your baby win, of course!) or experiment with a faux painting technique where you use non-toxic paints to crawl patterns onto a canvas or large sheet of paper. Your efforts could turn out just as good as modern art!
First Steps
If your baby has learned to pull him or herself up and take those few all-important steps, whole new worlds of exercise are now open to your baby. A favorite for many babies is the jolly jumper, a sort of springy harness that hangs from the doorframe. It develops baby's leg muscles in a fun way by allowing them to jump around safely. This is especially useful for people who don't have a lot of space that would allow them to give the child a walker or push toy. Even if you're living in a condominium, Toronto experts agree you still have doorframes.
Toddler
Toddlers love to get into trouble. Digging, exploring, discovering, and getting dirty are some of their favorite activities. You can turn these predispositions into fun exercises for you both such as going on an exploratory hike in the yard or playing hide-and-go seek in the house. Gardening also appeals to kids because they are actually allowed to get messy while at the same time you're creating a pretty flowerbed. Gardening hand tools even come in brightly colored plastic versions with dull edges that are safe for small children.
Pre-Schooler
Once children hit about three or four they can actually start participating in traditional sports like soccer or hockey. Indeed, young children learn faster and develop more skill at sports if they start young. While your three year old daughter may not be ready to play in a girl hockey tournament just yet, she can probably handle hitting some balls in the yard or roller skating in the driveway. Pre-schoolers can also benefit from child-friendly exercise DVDs, especially if the exercises are led by their favorite TV show characters.
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