Pippa Middleton takes 11-month-old son Arthur to baby gym to work on 'physical skills'

Pippa Middleton has revealed she takes her baby son to a baby gym for weekly workouts.

The Duchess of Cambridge’s younger sister gave birth to Arthur, who is now 11-months-old, in October last year.

Now the mum-of-one, 36, has told how she takes little Arthur to classes at a baby gym near her family’s London home, in order to help him “learn physical skills”.

Writing in her fitness column for Waitrose Weekend, a free newspaper available to customers at Waitrose supermarket, Middleton, who is married to hedge fund manager James Matthews, 44, explained her decision to take Arthur to the baby gym.

“I needed to find something more than just park walks in the pram,” she wrote. “Our local baby gym has been a saving grace. It's a big space full of fun, soft objects, playmats, stairs, balls, swings, mini trampolines and more to stimulate and physically engage babies and toddlers.”

READ MORE: New mum Pippa Middleton spends £1,119 on a Bugaboo pram

Describing the exercise sessions, the fitness fan, who has been pictured wearing exercise gear while taking her son out in his pram, explained: “The classes have structured activities that help promote movement, balance and strength, but there's also free play.

“Arthur burns lots of energy in this safe environment and learns many physical skills. I have also noticed him building his confidence with each visit.”

What is a baby gym?

Baby Gyms are a fantastic environment for babies and toddlers to explore and practice their physical skills,” Penny Holbrook, founder and manager at Mini Monkey Gym, told Yahoo UK.

Classes are usually 45 minutes long, and include songs and gym time, which consist of “specially designed soft obstacle courses on a soft matting” which are tailored to the child’s age.

So what might Arthur be doing as he approaches one year old?

Holbrook says: “At 11 months old Arthur will be no doubt be enjoying pulling himself up and ‘cruising’ around equipment, enjoying some aided first steps and building strength in his legs.

READ MORE: Pippa Middleton opens up about son Arthur

“He will also be having the opportunity to engage in some very important cross lateral movements during crawling activities which support brain development.”

Of baby gyms’ myriad benefit for little ones, she adds: “Our classes see your child increase in their physical skills of locomotion, balance, agility, climbing and coordination. Language skills and sense of rhythm are promoted thorough active circle time songs and rhymes, using sensory and musical props.”