A strong core provides support and stability to the spine and pelvis. This helps reduce the risk of strains and sprains. Core strengthening exercises incorporated into online yoga classes promote holistic health and wellness in children. Here are some core strengthening exercises for kids:
Boat Pose
Children can strengthen their abdominal muscles with the boat pose and improve balance and concentration. For this yoga posture, kids sit on the mat with their knees bent and feet flat on the floor. They can lean back slightly from the seated position, engaging their core muscles. As they lift their feet off the ground, they can straighten their legs so that their body forms a V shape.
They can extend their arms forward, parallel to the ground, with palms facing each other. This technique helps to maintain balance and engages the muscles in the arms and shoulders. Kids take deep breaths in and out through their noses, focusing on maintaining stable breathing while holding the posture.
Plank Pose
The plank pose targets the stomach and deep muscles supporting the spine to boost stability and good posture. Kids begin in a push-up position, with their hands firmly on the ground directly beneath their shoulders and their arms straight. Spreading their fingers wide helps enhance stability and distributes weight more evenly, reducing strain on the wrists.
In the push-up position, they lower themselves onto their forearms, one arm at a time, with elbows in line with their shoulders. As they lower onto their forearms, kids should maintain a straight line from their head to their heels, engaging their core muscles. In this position, kids can hold the plank pose for as long as they feel comfortable, focusing on steady breathing.
Bridge Pose
This yoga posture strengthens the back, glutes, and core muscles while opening the chest and shoulders. For the bridge pose, kids lie on their backs on the mat with their knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Their arms can rest alongside their body with palms facing down to promote stability and grounding.
Tucking shoulder blades underneath them and rolling the chest open creates a straight line from their shoulders to their knees. This approach strengthens the upper and back chest, improving posture. Kids keep their knees directly over their ankles to engage leg muscles and press evenly into both feet to lift their hips higher. Squeezing a block or pillow between the thighs engages the inner thigh muscles.
Superman Pose
During online yoga classes, kids can perform the superman pose, which reinforces the lower back, glutes, and core muscles, boosting spine alignment. Kids begin by lying on their stomachs on the mat with their legs extended and feet hip-width apart. Their arms should be stretched out overhead, palms facing down, and shoulders relaxed away from the ears for comfortable posture.
Kids engage their core muscles from this position and lift their arms, chest, and legs off the ground simultaneously. They should raise them as high as possible while looking straight ahead to maintain proper alignment. Keeping legs straight engages the muscles along the back of the legs, including the hamstrings and glutes, strengthening the lower back and core.
Cat-Cow Stretch
For the cat-cow stretch, children begin in a tabletop position on the mat, with their hands directly beneath their shoulders and their knees below their hips. From the tabletop position, kids exhale and round their spine towards the ceiling, like a stretching cat. Tucking the chin towards the chest and drawing the belly button towards the spine in the cat pose helps promote spinal movement. This action encourages a deeper stretch along the spine while activating the abdomen and lower back muscles.
For the cow pose, kids arch their back and drop their bellies toward the mat. At the same time, lifting their chest and chin toward the ceiling. As they lift their head and chests, kids use back muscles to extend the spine, stabilizing the core. They flow through cat-cow stretches for several rounds, moving with their breath and focusing on the sensation of each movement.
Register For Online Yoga Classes
Different yoga poses target core muscles, strengthen them, and improve posture. Instructors tailor these poses to meet your kids’ needs and enhance a good experience throughout their yoga session. Sign up your kid for online yoga classes to stabilize their core and improve physical health.
