3 easy breathing exercises for children

Is it possible three breathing practices to improve your child’s health?

In addition to 3 very easy breathing exercises that will significantly improve the physical and mental condition of your child, in this article you will learn why proper breathing is useful and how to do it in the best way. Regular practice of these exercises leads to improved cognitive abilities, confidence and calmness.

Breathing is a completely natural and automated process that is part of our body. We are used to breathing from the moment we are born and we hardly pay attention to this process. We always do it – when we move, when we eat, even when we sleep. Yes, indeed, we all know how to breathe, but are we doing it right and well?

The truth is that we do not always breathe properly. Often our breathing is fast, under the influence of emotions or actions we are currently performing, without a specific focus on the process. All this leads to a feeling of fatigue, headache, decreased attention to detail and overall anxiety. How to expect in this situation our children know the right ways to breathe?

Breathing exercises are extremely useful for restoring this “forgotten” ability. With regular and frequent practice, they have a visible positive effect on the control of emotions, increase concentration and calm.

Why are breathing exercises useful for children?

Breathing exercises saturate the blood with oxygen. As a result, the cardiovascular system, brain, lungs, nervous system and digestive system improve their performance. Apart from the general tone and health of the body, respiratory gymnastics is extremely effective in treating various bronchial diseases (such as asthma!), hyperactivity, insomnia and fatigue. It is important to note that the practice of breathing exercises in early childhood is the formation of a useful habit. The earlier and consciously paid attention to this process, the greater the benefits and advantages your child will have when he/she grows up.

It is very likely that you will encounter resistance from your child, because at first these exercises can be difficult or boring. Therefore, for the success of the endeavor, it is essential to turn them into an easy game that it is looking forward to. We recommend that you use images that are familiar to him/her and include his/her favorite toys to help him/her perform the exercises.

How to do breathing exercises?

Proper execution of the exercises guarantees successful results. And here are some “rules” that you need to pay special attention to.

Before you start:

– breathing exercises are recommended to bе done on an empty stomach or at least one hour after a meal
– the room in which you will perform the exercises should be ventilated

How to improve the air quality in the kids room read here.

During breathing practice:

– it is important that your child has a relaxed body and does not strain his muscles during exercise

– inhalation is always through the nose

– the shoulders should not be raised
– air should not collect in the cheeks, but go down to the abdomen
– exhale naturally, smoothly and continuously

3 easy breathing exercises for children

1. “Baloon” – The balloon is a fun image familiar to your child from both real life and children’s songs and books. The “Balloon” exercise is the first and basic exercise with which your child will most easily understand the basics of breathing exercises. The starting position is lying on your back, with a relaxed body and arms on your stomach. When inhaled, all the air is directed to the stomach until it fills with air and begins to look like a balloon. Exhale slowly through the mouth until all the air is out. The pace of inhalation and exhalation needs to be the same and continuous.

2. “Ball” – The ball is another well-known image. With its help, this exercise will look even more like child’s play. Here you need a ball, an easy-to-inflate balloon or an object that needs air to take on a familiar shape. We tried it – with a ball it’s the most fun! Inhale through the nose until the stomach is filled with air. Exhale slowly and gradually into the ball.

3. “Soap bubbles” – Children love soap bubbles and with their help you will easily be able to attract and keep attention on the exercise. If your child does not know how to make bubbles, you can distribute the tasks – you to make bubbles and the child to control their movement and direction by blowing them. Here it is important to set preconditions. For example, “We want this bubble to reach the other end of the room. To send it there, you have to blow in that direction.” or “Take this bubble to the kitchen without it falling to the ground.”

There are many different breathing exercises, find the ones that your child enjoys the most. So it will look forward to them and they will become a daily practice. Keep in mind that it is important to keep the spirit of the game. If you are trying to make the exercises mandatory, it is very likely that your child will not want to perform them.

Breathing exercises complement drug or physical therapy, actively work for the development of your child’s respiratory system and strengthen his immune system in a very natural way. With regular practice, the quality of life will significantly improve and the child will become much healthier and more energetic.

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