Movement During Quarantine Part 8: Yoga & Cool Down

While stretching is essential for adults who exercise, it is not often carried over to children. For the most part, their muscles are elastic enough that an extended, post-workout stretch isn't always completely necessary. However, getting active children into good routines that will carry over into them becoming active adults is never a bad thing.

Look up “Children’s Yoga Stories” to increase engagement

- Get creative: make up a yoga story featuring sun, tree, butterfly, tall mountain, bird, dragon, cobra, cat, cow, dog – use any yoga move you know that can be adapted or used with children

End more intense bouts of movement by making sure to take slow, deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth (smell your flower, blow out your candle). Light stretching is highly encouraged, even with our youngest participants. Seated quad and hamstring stretches, along with the butterfly pose are all done on their bottom. Upper both stretches can be as simple as an arm reach across or behind-the-head triceps stretch. As important as the stretching, ensuring of deep, slow breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth are crucial in wrapping up movement activities and getting kids ready to transition into a non-movement activity.