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Healthy Dudley

Move More (0-12 months)

Getting babies moving 0 – 1 year

Babies need to be physically active from birth – moving, stretching, kicking, looking, grabbing, wriggling and wiggling.

Top tips for getting babies moving

Tummy time

Tummy Time is the period during the day your baby spends awake and on their stomach. It is a crucial exercise for baby’s motor, visual, and sensory development. Baby can begin Tummy Time as a newborn. They can continue to do Tummy Time throughout their first year

More information on Tummy Time

Toys

Babies don’t need fancy toys, they just need things to help them reach and grasp, pull and push. Hold an object in front of them and let them follow it with their eyes. They’ll try and chase a ball if you roll it away from them. Eventually they’ll learn how to roll the ball, just like you

Limit time in pushchairs, rockers and car seats

Babies need to develop head and trunk control and shouldn’t be in their car seats, buggies, rockers etc. for any prolonged length of time – take them out and let them move. They love to kick, stretch and wriggle!

Play

Play is the most important activity babies and children under 5 years. It’s how they learn about themselves, the world around them and their place in it. Give your baby time to play, show them how to play and support them in play. Get down on your baby’s level, this helps you to engage with them. Involve their senses in play; smell, touch, taste, sight and listening.

Encourage crawling

When your baby is on their tummy, put their favourite object in front of them to encourage them to move. Don’t worry if they don’t crawl, some babies can go straight from shuffling to standing up.

Bath time

Water is important to babies. Bath time is an opportunity to play with your baby and have lots of fun, kicking splashing and making noises. You don’t need specific bath toys to have fun use plastic cups and bottles.

Eye stimulation

Encouraging your baby to look at things in lots of directions will help strengthen their eye muscles. Bubbles are a great way to get babies to move their eyes.

Move together

Babies love music and movement. Hold your baby and move around the living room to music or lie down and balance me on you so we can move together.

Exploration

Babies like to explore and experiment, by themselves and with your help. Let your baby try and pull themselves up or find things that they can reach out to and grab. When they’re ready, they’ll start to cruise around holding your hands and eventually take their first few steps.

Rolling around

Rolling helps babies to develop their balance and strength. Help your baby to roll from the hip and from front to back and back to front.

More information about how to keep your baby active visit

How to keep your baby or toddler active

Baby Moves

Early Movers

Download the recommendations for physical activity from birth to 5 years

Infographic titled “Physical activity for early years (birth - 5 years)”. The infographic highlights the benefits of physical activity for young children, stating that active children are healthy, happy, school ready and sleep better. Benefits shown include: Builds relationships and social skills Maintains health and weight Contributes to brain development and learning Improves sleep Develops muscles and bones Encourages movement and coordination A central banner states “Every movement counts.” Two clock graphics provide activity targets: Aim for at least 30 minutes per day for children under 1 year Aim for at least 180 minutes per day for children 1–5 years Illustrated examples of activities include: Tummy time Playground play Dancing Climbing Skipping Swimming Object play Messy play Jumping Games Playing outdoors Walking Throwing and catching Scooting At the bottom, a blue banner encourages: “Get Strong. Move More. Break up inactivity.” The infographic uses blue, green, orange, purple and turquoise illustrations and is attributed to the UK Chief Medical Officers’ Physical Activity Guidelines, 2026.

Download the physical activity recommendations for women in the postnatal period (birth to 12 months postpartum)

Infographic titled “Physical activity for women after childbirth (birth to 12 months)”. The poster explains the benefits of physical activity after having a baby, including reducing worries and depression, helping control weight, improving tummy muscle strength, fitness, mood, and sleep. At the centre is a large hexagon stating: “Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity every week.” Surrounding illustrations show activities such as walking with a pram, cycling, exercising at home, using exercise equipment, stair climbing, and floor exercises, alongside a baby and home setting. Key messages include: If not previously active, start gradually. If active before pregnancy, restart gradually. Begin pelvic floor exercises as soon as possible and continue daily. Build up muscle-strengthening activities twice a week. Physical activity is safe after birth, with no evidence of harm for postpartum women. Listen to your body and start gently, depending on your delivery. Physical activity can be done while breastfeeding. The poster is presented in blue, turquoise, and purple colours and cites the UK Chief Medical Officers’ Physical Activity Guidelines, 2026.

Page reviewed July 2026