Ways to Improve Flexibility in Children
Flexibility in children is an innate physical quality that they can lose over time if they don’t exercise frequently. Exercise promotes agility in their movements, and helps their joints and muscles to form better, thus helping to avoid problems in the future.
Specifically, flexibility is the ability to stretch a joint to the maximum and for muscles to adapt to that tension. From birth, human beings have a wonderful flexibility, which must be encouraged at a young age and worked on in adulthood.
Flexibility exercises help us to avoid a sedentary lifestyle and the cardiovascular diseases that occur due to lack of mobility and adequate nutrition. If you work on it from childhood, good flexibility will guarantee a higher quality of life in adulthood.
If you don’t exercise after childhood then you’ll lose it. It’s highly recommended to encourage children to do sports on a daily basis.
Whatever the situation, the important thing is that parents understand that keeping children in good physical shape shouldn’t imply pressuring them to do it. That way, you’ll prevent them from hating you from trying to encourage them.
Factors that affect flexibility in children
Among the factors that produce a lack of flexibility in children is the excess time spent in front of the TV and console games.
Loss of flexibility means children might be more likely to have physical problems in the future. These could include muscle ache, breaks, tears and other health problems.
Everything is related to lack of mobility, and how the muscles and joints deteriorate over the years. The key to improving flexibility in children is constant physical training, which is fun at the same time.
At home or at school, doing exercise is a must. For children, it’s always best to accompany the routine with games. That way you’ll avoid boredom and get better results.
Yoga favors the five senses
Parents and teachers should motivate children to learn how to stretch their bodies to stay agile and flexible. To achieve this, there are several options involving games, sports and artistic disciplines. In these activities you should work on relaxation, concentration and balance.
Yoga helps children develop their muscles better, and maximizes the flexibility of their joints.
In addition, it optimizes the good sitting or standing posture, and improves the breathing and the positioning of the internal organs. It also promotes better blood circulation.
This physical and mental discipline works on self-esteem, reduces stress and perfects the five senses. It also increases agility and dexterity and relaxes the joints. At the same time, it also develops levels of attention and concentration.
Judo, the favorite martial art for children
Judo is an activity that children greatly enjoy. At the same time it also encourages them to develop their physical and mental abilities. This martial art also teaches important values, such as discipline, companionship and respect.
Among the benefits of this practice are the development of motor skills, strength, coordination, speed, flexibility and balance. Children are trained to control their body, and to exercise self-control and tactical thinking, among other benefits.
“The key to improving flexibility in children is constant physical training, which is fun at the same time.”
Dance, the ideal skill
Dance is an ideal skill to learn, and it will help improve flexibility in children. It stimulates strength, balance and endurance. Dance also promotes rhythm and coordination of bones and muscles.
The importance of stretching
Stretching is another key to enhancing flexibility in children. Stretching should be done after warming up, in order for the muscles to become supple. This warming up could consist simply of going for a walk.
Stretches are movements of the muscles and joints. The important thing is to make this activity fun, to prevent children from getting bored and doing their exercises badly.
Effective exercises for stretching
A good exercise is to lie on your stomach and push your torso up. Simultaneously, you bend your legs and bring them towards your head, touching your head with the tips of the feet.
Another fun exercise is done in pairs. Sitting facing each other, they hold each other’s hands to stretch as much as possible.
The third option is to sit on the floor with the palms touching the floor. Once in this position you slowly raise your body upwards.
In short, flexibility in children is something that deserves attention and time. Since it’s very easy to exercise in a fun way, these exercises are great for the little ones.