Exercises for children 2 years old

Exercises for children 2 years old, like any correct physical activity for children of all ages, are aimed at their harmonious development and strengthening of health.

As the child grows, his motor activity increases, although a two-year-old still has poor coordination of movements, loses balance, and often falls. But the skills are constantly improving, and exercises for children of 2 years old, adequate to their physical capabilities, help with this.

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We take into account the features

When offering a child to perform exercises for 2-year-old children, one should take into account the anatomical and physiological characteristics and level of development of the musculoskeletal system characteristic of this age:

• due to the peculiar body proportions of children of this age (legs are shorter than the body), the center of gravity is shifted upward;
• the bone tissue of two-year-old children has a predominantly lamellar structure, it contains much less mineral substances compared to adults, the bones are soft and elastic;
• the skeleton grows faster than muscles;
• the mass of skeletal muscles in the total body mass (compared to the neonatal period) decreases by approximately 4-6%;
• the development of the muscles of the arms and legs lags significantly behind the development of the muscles of the trunk;
• development of arm muscles (shoulder and forearm) is faster than development of leg muscles;
• Of all the muscles in the body, the superficial muscles of the back and the gluteus maximus grow the fastest;
• deep back muscles are poorly developed;
• walking and running are not differentiated;
• Children of this age group cannot perform simultaneous jumps with both legs due to an imperfect reflex mechanism for coordinating the activity of the flexor and extensor muscles (reciprocal innervation of muscles).

Benefits of Exercise for 2 Year Olds

The benefits of exercises for 2-year-old children are that they promote the normal formation of the musculoskeletal system, make bones stronger and muscles stronger.

Weakness of the muscular corset and ligamentous apparatus, which results from lack of movement, is fraught with gradual and irreversible development of incorrect posture. And incorrect posture causes lateral curvature of the spine (scoliosis), which disrupts the normal functioning of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems.

No matter how simple the exercises for 2-year-old children, as well as the principles of general physical development of children of nursery and preschool age, may seem, pediatricians unanimously state: they promote health, increase the functional reserves of the heart and lungs, improve cerebral circulation and general metabolism.

By teaching children to regularly perform physical exercises for children 2 years old, parents lay a solid foundation for their health in the future.

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A set of exercises for children 2 years old

In order for the child to willingly perform a set of exercises for children of 2 years, parents should conduct classes in the form of a game and actively participate in it themselves. The key activity of a two- to three-year-old child is subject-based (actions with toys and various objects), so toys should be used during the exercise-game.

Children of this age get tired quickly, so 3-4 exercises are enough, which are performed no more than five times, and the entire session should take no more than 15 minutes. Remember that children under three years old should not jump even from a small height, because the arch of the foot is still weak and should not be overloaded.

So, a set of exercises for 2-year-old children can consist of the following elements.

1. "Walking along the path" (develops gait and balance). A strip of thick paper or fabric, or two ropes (parallel, 25 cm apart) are placed on the floor. The child must walk along this "path" several times, maintaining balance and not going beyond its limits. In this case, you can organize a game by placing a toy at the other end of the path, which the child must reach and bring to an adult.
2. Stepping over an obstacle (develops correct gait and leg muscles). A stick or a small toy is placed on the floor, over which the baby must step several times. Or you can play like this: when you say "our feet are walking along a smooth path," the child walks normally, and when you say "and now walk on the pebbles," the child must step over, raising his knees high.
3. Collecting cubes (develops leg muscles). Scatter 6-8 cubes on the floor and place a container (basket, plastic basin or bucket). The child is given the task of collecting all the cubes - bending over for each one or squatting.
4. Walk on all fours (like a cat, dog or any other animal). This exercise develops all the muscles and coordination of the child's movements well.
5. Flying like a bird (develops shoulder girdle muscles). The child stands with his arms down and at the signal "the bird has flown" raises his arms to the sides and makes flapping movements with straight arms, moving around the room.
6. The flower grows (develops the muscles of the shoulder girdle, legs and back). The child should squat down and after the adult says "it's raining, the flower is growing" he gets up from the squat, straightens his back, raises his arms up and stands on tiptoe.
7. The wind blows, the tree sways (develops the muscles of the arms and torso). The child stands with his arms down and, at the signal "the wind blows, the tree sways," raises his arms up and bends his torso to the right and left.
8. Swimming like a fish (develops the abs, back and neck muscles). The child should lie on his stomach with his arms bent under his chest. On command from an adult, the child should arch his back and, straightening his arms forward, lift his head and chest.
9. Roll-roll ball (develops trunk muscles). The child should walk and roll a large ball on the floor, leaning forward and pushing it with his hands.
10. Football (develops all muscles, balance and coordination of movements). Since the child does not run yet, you need to roll the ball on the floor with the pushes of the legs - while walking.

There are no limits to the imagination of parents! Taking into account the characteristics of their children, you can come up with a lot of interesting games based on physical exercises. When including new movements in a set of exercises for 2-year-old children, it is necessary to remember that the child's musculoskeletal system is in the process of active growth and development. Physical exercises for 2-year-old children should give them the joy of movement and pleasure from communicating with their parents.

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