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Yoga is a great way to keep your children active and flexible. It provides flexibility, keeping young muscles and bodies supple, with joints working to their full range of motion. In today’s society, many kids are watching too much television and being overstimulated by video games. Yoga can be the perfect activity to incorporate into your child’s life and is something you can practice at home, too.

Young children are naturally flexible, and practicing yoga can help them remain agile as they grow. The twisting and bending movements practiced during yoga actually stimulate and massage the internal organs. Yoga exercises have also proven beneficial in helping children improve in sports, as many sports training exercises are actually derived from yoga. If your child is already flexible, yoga can help them become even more agile, while less flexible children become more limber.

At home, practice stretching and flexibility poses with your child. A great pose to practice with a young child (ages 3-7) is the ‘happy baby’ pose:

• Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor.
• As you breath in, lift both knees to your chest and hold your feet.
• Pull your feet toward you and let your knees go towards your armpits.
• Gently roll from side to side. This will lengthen your spine and increase the flexibility it your hips.

Most importantly, have fun with your kids. Encourage them to act out the pose using sounds while they hold the pose. Kids will be kids so finding ways to let them release energy is crucial. See this article from Yoga Journal about other easy ways to get your kids loving yoga!

SHARED by: Hilarie Moore, Yoga and Movement Teacher at Gymtime and York Avenue Preschool