As childhood obesity rates climb in the U.S., pediatricians suggest we should encourage kids to get active at a young age. A quick and fairly easy way to get your children active is through yoga.
The practice of yoga is a valid method to condition the body while relieving stress, and has been included in the curriculum for the Goddard Schools nationwide. Yoga also enhances cross-curricular learning for children and is an easy way to incorporate physical fitness into their day.
Yoga has many physical benefits for our children:
- It enhances their flexibility, strength, coordination, and body awareness
- Their concentration and sense of calmness and relaxation improves – helping them get a good night’s sleep
- Yoga improves digestion and eases tummy troubles
- Children exercise, play, connect with their inner self, and develop a relationship with the natural world that surrounds them
Aside from the physical benefits of Yoga:
- It actually helps children concentrate better and develop skills essential to reading, writing, math, and coordination because a lot of the poses require gazing off into the distance while concentrating on a specific point
- Yoga encourages imagination, creativity, ownership, and expression through the many different poses
- The practice reinforces skills in listening (following directions) and communication
