Now that the emergency of Valentine’s Day  is behind us, we can focus on the stuff that really matters.   Like our bodies.

Core strength.  A hundred years ago when I worked in hospitals I would trudge around the corridors hauling a large orange exercise ball.  White lab coat and a giant ball.  Keep in mind this was pre Pilates.  We talked about trunk strength.  The word core referred to apples, not an aspect of the human anatomy.  So you, readers, are way ahead of my colleagues in the elevators.  Spectacles, stethoscopes slung around necks and clipboards were expected.  This was unexpected.

You see, long ago, we therapists figured out that the  way to rehabilitate an injured body and improve performance was to strengthen the trunk muscles first.  We could have a patient lift dumb bells all day, but if they couldn’t sit upright in the wheelchair,  the ability to function remained severely limited.  So we, tile trivet queens,  borrowed balls from the physical therapy department and got to work.

“What does this have to do with my baby ...  or my eight year old ...” you are beginning to wonder.  Most babies come into the world absolutely perfect (especially yours).  And yet,  they come into the world curled up in fetal position with very little ability to move.  Intentional movement comes along several months down the road.  So, the journey begins at birth, to start learning to move.  There is indeed a developmental progression that automatically happens.  But just as language needs some prodding,  motor skills can use a little nudge.

The nudge needs to be fun and it needs to be safe.  Supporting the head until solid head neck control are firmly established is key.  Enticing the infant, baby, toddler, preschooler and child with interesting games and MANY breaks and accolades interspersed,  builds confidence.  The fun experienced helps cement a positive relationship (that bonding thing).

So today we will focus on a very simple BUT powerful concept:

                                          Positioning 

Parents are told to place the infant on the back for sleeping, understandably to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).  This makes it very important that during waking hours, the baby is placed on the tummy intermittently throughout the day.  As a very young infant, tolerance for this position will be quite small.  As the neck gets stronger, the infant can lift the head and look around.  The back and arm muscles get stronger and the baby begins to lift the chest off the floor and prop up on the forearms.  Eventually the baby lifts the trunk up with all the body weight in the hands.  This strengthens the hand muscles.

Perhaps you didn’t realize that as the baby bears weight in the hands in a crawling position, they were actually readying the hands and fingers to complete those arduous piles of Valentine’s  ... 

The  job doesn’t stop with reaching while on the tummy or crawling.  This position, lying on the stomach, remains important for many years, as it requires work from the back muscles.  These muscles help us sit and stand upright, balance and do basically everything.  Ask someone with a pulled back muscle.  With a back injury,  it is almost impossible to do even the simplest tasks.

Here are some positioning activities to do at various stages of development:

Infants and babies:   Place on tummy for a few seconds to minutes during the day.  Lie on floor in front of the baby and smile, talk, sing, shake a toy...basically anything which will engage the child in a pleasurable way.

Babies:  While in the same position, hold out a toy so the baby has to reach for it.  Just a slight distance so success is assured.  Try pushing a toy truck slightly away and repeat with a ball another time.

Babies and toddlers:  Encourage crawling, reaching and more of the above activities.

Toddlers:  After the child has learned to walk, encourage activities on the floor.  Tummy time is still important to keep building back muscle strength. 

Preschoolers:  Crawling activities remain important.  Snuggle up with blankets and pillows and read picture books together on the tummy.  Play simple board games, cars and Memory on the floor, stretched out on the tummy.  Commando  or snake crawling, in which the child wiggles forward on the floor, tummy in constant contact with the floor is a fun activity.

As babies, toddlers, preschoolers and older children get stronger, mix it up with inflatable rolls or inexpensive large plastic balls (frequently purchased at the supermarket for less than $10).  Let the child lie on the ball  and slowly roll forward onto hands to “walk” off.

                                                                                                                  

                                Photography by Eileen Counihan

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