Health & Wellness

Baby Mobility Stages Parents Should Know About

And How Cushmat Can Help Your Baby Cruise Along Safely

Having a new infant around the house is an amazing experience —in the next year, that little bundle of joy of yours will change, grow, and thrive in so many different ways, especially when it comes to their mobility. 

Though children are always adapting, changing, and growing, there’s something so remarkable about how much their mobility will change in the first two years of their life — luckily, Cushmat is there to help you and our baby comfortably get through it every step (or crawl, or tumble, or toddle) of the way.

Want to know more about what kind of mobility you can expect in your child’s first year or two of life? Check it out! 

Tummy Time in a Nutshell  

This is probably a phrase you’ve heard time and time again, but do you really know what it means? Tummy time is a crucial exercise that parents should be practicing with their babies early on. Tummy time — which quite literally is supervising your baby while they’re on their stomach on a comfortable, plush surface (enter Cushmat) to help them build up their neck and back muscles. Because babies spend so much time sleeping on their back, they need proper exercise to build these muscles up so they can develop at a normal rate.

0-3 Months

At this age, your baby only needs very short, very supervised bursts of Tummy Time. Set your infant up on a comfortable, vibrant, and safe Cushmat for a few minutes every day to help them begin strengthening those important muscles. By the time babies are 3 months old, you can start increasing their tummy time to 20-30-minute increments so long as they’re supervised, comfortable, and safe on a soft, healthy surface.

4-6 Months

This is where Tummy Time starts getting interesting. By the time babies are 4-6 months, they’ll have strengthened their neck and back muscles to the point where they should be beginning to learn how to roll from their stomachs to their backs. When that starts happening, you’ll want to guarantee you have a large, soft, and safe mat for your baby to roll around on. Once babies start surpassing the 7-month mark, they’re probably working toward, or already, sitting up.

Sitting Up is Next

This is one of your child’s biggest mobility developments yet. Typically, babies begin sitting up around 6-8 months old. This usually happens after babies are strong enough to roll from stomach to back and up into a seated position. That being said, this is still a strenuous effort for your little one, so don’t be surprised when they topped over and tire out — do be prepared, though. With Cushmat, you’re guaranteeing that when your little one does tucker out, they’re safely rolling over onto a cushy, 15mm foam mat that’s entirely non-toxic.

Crawling Along

Crawling is the real beginning to baby mobility. Typically, babies learn to crawl anywhere from 6-10 months old —it all depends on the development, personality, and interest in moving around your baby has. 

As exciting as this stage might be, it can also be a little terrifying. Your little guy or gal is officially on the move, so you’ll want to make sure they’re moving on, touching, and spending time on a safe, non-toxic surface that will protect them from tumbles, trips, falls, and mini-faceplants.

What’s even more terrifying? Some babies skip the crawling phase altogether and go straight to cruising around and walking!

Cruising + Walking

Every child is different, but most babies tend to start walking anywhere from 9-12 months old. Typically, babies go through a normal mobility period called cruising where they grab onto anything solid and take a few wobbly steps before crashing back down to their bottoms. When this starts happening, you better make sure you’ve got more than just a camera on you — you’re going to want a safe, comfortable mat you know that you can depend on when your baby takes those first few wobbly steps forward and crashes down to the floor. Cushmat is a great tool for those initial walking stages because it provides your child with a soft, cushioned, and foamy crash pad, saving them from bumps and bruises all while encouraging them to get back up and try again!

No matter what mobility stage your child might be going through — crawling, toddling, walking, or beyond — Cushmat is there to provide a soft, safe, and comfortable mat for your little one.

 

Health and Wellness Exercises for Your Little One’s Mobility

While at first it might be hard to imagine sitting down and developing an exercise routine for your little one, the fact of the matter is, helping your baby get moving and building up strength is a vital part of their normal development.

That’s right, we said it, babies need to work out to be healthy, too.

Try to set aside the silly images of baby weight lifting or baby cross-fit for a second so we can better explain what we mean.

According to the Society of Health and Physical Educators, daily exercise should be a huge part of all children’s lives – that includes babies. Getting your little one moving can help them strengthen and stretch their new muscles, build up their hand-eye-coordination, and ensure that they’re on the right track with normal infant development.
No matter what exercises you choose, remember, it’s vital to have a safe and healthy play mat for your child’s playtime and exercise — that’s where Cushmat, with its non-toxic and 15mm thick foam —comes into play.

Check out a few of our favorite baby exercise recommendations below:

Tummy Time

Tummy time is a super important part of your baby’s mobility development — in fact, check out our previous page about childhood mobility to get a better idea of how to help your child strengthen their muscles during tummy time. Want to exercise with your baby, too? Lay down on your Cushmat with your child and stretch with them while trying to get them to look up at you.

Baby Development Range: This exercise is for babies anywhere from 1-4 months old. Typically, small spurts of tummy time begin around 2 months and gradually get longer leading up to 4 months.

How to Do It: Lay your baby down on his or her belly on your non-toxic, 15mm foam Cushmat. If you’re starting tummy time anywhere from 0-2 months, only expect small movements from your little one —but know that every movement helps.

Benefits: This exercise helps to strengthen head, neck, and back muscles while improving motor skills. It also helps to prevent positional plagiocephaly.

Chest Exercises

This is more than just an exercise with your little one, it’s a great way to bond. Want to make this a duo-exercise? Lay on your Cushmat and lift your own shoulders and neck while your baby is on your tummy.

Baby Development Range: This exercise is ideal for babies who have already been exposed to tummy time. Typically, this works best with children who are old enough to maintain eye contact and who have attention spans that are long enough to keep their focus on you.

How to Do It: Lay down on your comfy, non-toxic Cushmat and place your baby safely on your chest. Your baby will, most likely, raise his or her head to look at you! Eventually, you’ll be able to transition your baby to the Cushmat and surround him or her with fun toys to make tummy time more entertaining.

Benefits: This exercise will help your baby strengthen his or her neck and back muscles.

Assisted Crawling

This exercise is perfect for babies who are rolling onto their stomachs and backs and are attempting to move around. They just need a little extra exercise to get their crawl going!

Baby Development Range: Most babies start crawling anywhere from 6-10 months —once your child starts showing signs of moving about, sitting up on their own, and using their knees and elbows to move about, you can start this exercise.

How to Do It: Sit down on your Cushmat with your baby. Grab a non-toxic, soft towel and fold it over a few times. Lay the towel down on your soft, durable Cushmat and then lay your baby on top of it. With both hands, lift up the sides of the towel so your baby’s arms and legs are dangling just an inch or two off the ground. With practice, you can gradually loosen your grip until your child is crawling on their own.

Benefits: This exercise strengthens your baby’s legs and arms and helps them get used to the motions of crawling.

Baby Bouncing

This isn’t just a strengthening exercise, it’s also a super fun way to bond with your little one. Try singing along or making silly noises for added fun!

Baby Development Range: This exercise is for babies who are able to stand up on their feet when supported for more than a few minutes.

How to Do It: Sit down on your Cushmat for a soft, comfy surface. Help your baby stand up in your lap and grab onto your child’s hands. Have your baby start bouncing up and down on your legs with your feet. If your baby isn’t bouncing right away, help them pump their arms up and down to get them moving!

Benefits: This will help baby strengthen their legs, as well as practice having their full weight on their feet.

Assisted Cruising 

This is the perfect exercise to help your little one get the hang of the whole walking thing

Baby Development Range: This exercise is intended for babies who are past crawling, can stand on their own two feet with some support, and who need a little extra strengthening before they’re ready to walk on their own.

How to Do It: Help your baby over to a piece of soft, safe, furniture with your Cushmat safely in place behind them. Next, help your baby hold onto furniture and encourage them to take several steps while grabbing onto safe, soft furniture. Keep the Cushmat near your baby at all times in case they tumble. Always keep at least on hand on your child at all times until your baby is ready to cruise by themselves

Benefits: This will help your baby put weight on his or her own feet, strengthen his or her legs, and help them train up their muscles for walking.

With these fun and safe exercises, you’ll get baby stronger and moving in no time! Remember, keep your child safe and healthy by using a non-toxic, soft, comfortable foam mat like Cushmat during their play, nap, and exercise times.

An added bonus of the Cushmat? When it comes to more advanced exercising for you (or even for when your kiddo is all grown up), you’re left with a stylish, durable, easy-to-clean and safe workout mat that fits beautifully in your home! Cushmat is truly an overall wonderful health and wellness addition for the entire family.