Icelandic swimming school baffles science by teaching babies to stand aged three months

According to the NHS most babies start to use furniture to help them stand at around nine months to a year. But an Icelandic swimming school is helping babies as young as three-months-old balance upright unaided.

Development therapist, Snorri Magnusson, dubbed Iceland’s ‘baby whisperer’, teaches babies from three-and-a-half-months to balance on his hand or a board completely on their own.

According to Newshub, the babies are brought along by their parents to twice-weekly classes for an hour at a time and for up to three months.

Babies enrolled on the course start with warm-up exercises, before being encouraged to reach out and grab objects, with the support of their parents. The babies must also compete homework.

“But it always starts with the [straightening] training… Because when there is strength in the spine and the upper body you can do whatever,” Mr Magnusson says.

The therapist then encourages the babies to somersault on a floating mattress, before eventually holding them on top of his palm and coaxing them to stand.

By the end of the 12 week course, 11 of the 12 babies who took part were able to stand on their own for 15 seconds, while the remaining baby could stand upright unaided for eight seconds.

“The parents are always very surprised, really surprised by what their babies are able to do,” he continues.

But it isn’t just the standing developmental milestone that the tots are hitting first. Mr Magnusson also says the babies often begin smiling and talking before their peers too.

And despite the classes taking place at the pool, Mr Magnusson says the service he offers isn’t about teaching babies to swim.

“I am working with their motor development, working with their balance,” he explains.

“That is the foundation of my work. I am not teaching them how to swim.”

Since its launch, the service has attracted attention from experts who are baffled by the incredible results.

Neuropsychology professor Hermunder Sigmundsson studied the class earlier this year and his research seemed to suggest that the babies could be forming neural connections at an early age, which could help explain why they are hitting milestones earlier than their peers.

But as the study only looked at a small group of children (around 12) further investigation was needed.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for non-stop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyleUK.

Read more from Yahoo Style UK:

This mum’s Instagram about her breastfeeding boobs is so relatable (but rarely discussed)

Liev Schreiber took his son to Comic-Con dressed as Harley Quinn

Is twinning always winning when it comes to mother/daughter dressing?