Former Bigg Boss contestants Keith Sequeira and Rochelle Rao recently found themselves at the center of an online debate after posting a video of their 7-month old daughter Josephine engaging in some gymnastics moves like hanging exercises and flips. While many expressed concerns over subjecting an infant to such activities, the celebrity parents maintained it was beneficial for muscle development.
The controversy began when Keith shared a video of Josephine in her toddler gymnastics class on social media. However, several viewers criticized the decision, questioning whether babies need formal exercise at such a young age. In response, Keith explained the supervised sessions since age 6 months have improved Josephine’s happiness and intellect as proven in studies.
To address the worries, Keith and Rochelle consulted their pediatrician Dr. Nihar Parekh in a live session. The doctor clarified as long as proper safety measures are followed, supervised hanging exercises post 6 months can help strengthen muscles if the baby enjoys the activities. However, he stressed each child’s ability and pace of development must be considered.
Seeking more viewpoints, I also spoke to Dr. Jagdish Kathwate, a neonatology expert. He supported toddler gymnastics for appropriately developing muscle strength when guidelines are followed. Dr. Kathwate highlighted the importance of ensuring activities are tailored to an individual baby’s stage of growth to prevent stress on joints.
While opinions varied online, both doctors emphasized a balanced mix of supervised play, crawling, stretching and other developmentally-appropriate movements are most beneficial for healthy muscle progression in infants older than 6 months. When done cautiously and monitored by experts, toddler gymnastics can offer rewards – but each baby’s welfare must be the top priority for parents.
