From Couch To Yoga Mat: Activities Like Yoga For Children Support A Healthy Lifestyle

Did you know that today, according to the American Obesity Association, 30.3 percent of children and adolescents are overweight and 30.8 percent of children and adolescents are overweight? This should be alarming, especially considering that 30 years ago only five and seven percent of children and adolescents were overweight or obese, respectively. Regardless of whether or not your child is part of these overwhelming statistics, are in danger of becoming overweight or obese, or you’re just thinking they need some exercise, consider yoga for children.rnrnMost children today are become more and more accustomed to sedentary lifestyles. When I was a child my siblings and I spent most of the daylight hours playing outside. We’d jump on the trampoline, run around playing tag, or traipse through the woods. We didn’t even realize we were getting exercise; we were just having fun. But sadly, kids today have moved away from active fun to sitting in front of a computer, gaming console, or the TV for hours on end. In fact, the average child gets from 4-6 hours of combined media per day. Luckily, as a parent you have the power to start weaning your children off more stationary activities in favor of more beneficial, physical activities like yoga for children. It may be a struggle at first, but if you make it fun, your children will be enjoying themselves so much they’ll forget about their newest video game.rnrnMaking simple changes over time can add up in moving your children’s lifestyles away from the computer or TV screen toward more activity. Make small changes over time to keep you or your children from becoming overwhelmed. Besides, you don’t want your plan to crash and burn, so plan for small changes over time that are also healthy, productive, and fun. Some examples might be to visit a local children’s museum, take your dog for a walk in the park, take your family out for a game of miniature golf, or putting in a kids yoga DVD so the whole family can participate in yoga for children. Whether or not they express these feelings to you, children love when their parents participate in activities with them, so don’t be afraid to roll out your yoga mat beside your child’s and salute the sun with them.rnrnPlanning ahead will help you to carry out your new plan of helping your kids adopt a more active lifestyle. Avoid placing TVs in your children’s rooms, for example, and don’t make the TV the focal point of your family room. To keep attention away from the TV, put it in a TV cabinet with doors that close. This way, when you’re not playing a kids yoga DVD or watching TV as a family, the doors are closed so that the TV is out of sight and out of mind.rnrnRemember that your child wasn’t born with the desire to watch hours of TV a day� the habit built of gradually. In the same way, incorporating yoga for children, encouraging outdoor play, and becoming more active as a family will inspire change over time. Changes that occur gradually are usually the most lasting, so be persistent and consistent, remembering that the ultimate goal is to instill a lifelong love of an active lifestyle in your children.