10/07/2020
Vestibular input and core strengthening, perfect after school activities on a beautiful fall day 🍁 !
Did you know that a simple activity such as rolling down a hill can be hugely beneficial to a child’s developing brain? As well as their core strength? How about the challenge of rolling back up the hill?
Our vestibular system is what tells our brain where our body is in space. It is comprised of our eyes, our inner ears, and the small muscles at the base of our skulls. As children grow and develop, the spinning, twirling, and hanging upside down that they so often seek is CRITICAL to the development of their vestibular system, which in turn affects sensory processing, coordination and balance.
The development of this system begins in utero, as baby tosses and turns, creating infamous “belly quakes”. For some babies, dropping early in the pelvis, or getting stuck under the rib cage when breech, can limit these movements and hinder early development of this critical system. Neck muscle imbalances, such as torticollis, further impact the development of a baby’s position sense over time.
In toddlers, preschoolers and school-aged children, we sometimes discourage spinning, twirling and hanging upside down, because we, as adults, find such movements unappealing (only because we’ve stopped doing them and have inhibited our own vestibular systems), or because we worry the child might get hurt. But these movements are so important!
I work with children of all ages, as young as a few days old, and I always recommend vestibular activities to promote development of this critical system. If you have questions on what you can do to promote more vestibular input for your infant or child, feel free to post below or send me a message. I hope you enjoy what is left of this gorgeous fall and go roll down, and back up, a hill or two!
