Making exercise a habit can help children stay active. Therefore, we bring you a list of easy stretching exercises for children to keep them engaged in something positive and productive. Stretching can help calm the mind and enhance concentration. Moreover, it also increases flexibility in the body. Read on to know more about stretching, including its benefits and different types for children to try.
Benefits Of Stretching For Children
According to the University of California, Davis, stretching helps in calming the mind, refreshing blood flow, managing stress, and increasing energy levels. Some more reasons why children need to practice daily stretching exercises are (1) (2):
Helps children improve their joint stability and mobility. Prevents injuries in calf, quadriceps, and hamstring and helps in lengthening muscles. Reduces muscle tension, delays muscle fatigue, and improves muscular coordination. In these times, when everyone is spending more time indoors, children may be sitting at tables or on the floor in one position for a prolonged time, as they do various indoor activities. Here it becomes even more important to exercise as well as stretch muscles.
Simple Stretching Exercises For Children
Here are some stretching exercises you may teach your children and encourage them to practice regularly.
1. Child’s pose
This posture helps the child to do a full stretch. It can reduce stress and help the kid relax (3).
2. Bow pose
One of the significant benefits of bow posture stretching is to improve spine flexibility. Practicing this exercise regularly would help in reducing strain in the neck, back, and also release muscle tension. Also, it enhances the blood flow and strengthens the upper body (4).
3. Cobra pose
Cobra pose helps in relieving backache, improving hunger, and reducing abdominal fat. It can also help in strengthening the stomach and spine (5).
4. Seated toe touch
This stretching exercise is good for the hamstring and the lower back. It releases hamstring tension, flexes the spine, and improves the motion of hips (7).
5.Downward-facing dog
This stretching exercise for kids strengthens calf muscles and hamstrings. It even helps in calming the brain, energizing the body, and improving digestion (7).
6. Cat-cow stretch
Practicing the cat-cow stretch regularly helps in bringing mobility in the shoulders, spine, neck, and pelvis. It also helps in strengthening the spine (8).
7. Overhead arm stretch
This simple stretching exercise is good for shoulders, arms, spine, and the overall body. It can be practiced anywhere.
8. Crossbody shoulder stretch
This simple exercise comes under static stretches and helps in improving flexibility. When practiced regularly, it even reduces the risk of injury (9).
9. Tricep stretch
It helps in stretching the upper arm and shoulder. This exercise can be done either by sitting or standing in one position (10).
10. Knee lunge
This stretching exercise is good for the lower body. It helps in strengthening calves, hamstrings, quadriceps, back muscles, and abdominals (11).
11. Butterfly stretch
This is a sitting stretch exercise that is good to stretch inner thighs and helps in strengthening back and maintaining balance (12).
12. Straddle stretch
Straddle stretch is an active flexibility exercise that is good for hamstrings, quads, and opening hips. There are two types of straddle stretch – seat straddle lotus and side seat straddle (13). Seated straddle lotus Side seat straddle
13. Quadricep stretch
Muscles such as quadriceps, hip flexors, calf, and hamstrings may become tight. To avoid the risk of injury, standing quadricep stretch would be a good option (14).
14. Standing calf stretch
Calf stretch helps in improving flexibility, decreasing soreness, and preventing injury. It is an effective exercise for the calf muscles. The exercise can be particularly good for active children (15).
15. Hamstring stretch
This stretching exercise helps in keeping the hamstring muscle flexible and even prevents injury (16).
Safety Measures To Follow While Stretching
Wrong postures or overstretching may harm children. Therefore, parents should teach certain safety tips to children to avoid any injuries (17).
