From US News: Making Yoga Kid-Friendly
Yoga isn’t just for adults…it’s for kids too! Wondering how you can make your daily yoga practice kid-friendly? Check out this great article from US News on “Making Yoga Kid-Friendly” (article excerpt below)
Namaste to the future.
Reflecting the swelling ranks of adult yogis, a growing number of kids are now doing yoga, as health experts, researchers and educators note the promise of initial research suggesting the ancient meditative movement practice may help little ones relieve stress, calm anxiety and improve mood – along with helping address ADHD, without drugs. The benefits seen in school-aged children and adolescents mirror many seen in adults – and extend to physical health as well, including improved flexibility and possible positive effects for heart and lung-related, or cardiopulmonary, health.
In all, 3 percent of children – or 1.7 million in the U.S. – did yoga in 2012, according to the latest data available from the National Health Interview Survey; that’s up about 429,000 kids from 2007.
More study is still needed, researchers say, to evaluate the suggested benefits of yoga for children, as well as who might benefit most, and what type of yoga practices, duration and frequency would be optimal. “There’s a lot more we need to understand,” says Lindy L. Weaver, clinical faculty at The Ohio State University School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. But, she says, “Overall we’re seeing a real wide variety of improvements in physical and psychological health in our children and adolescents who are participating in these types of yoga programs.” Research on yoga programs offered in clinical and classroom settings have found decreased levels of depression, stress and anger, plus improved coping skills, she says; that’s in addition to improved strength, flexibility and fitness.