11 Benefits of Yoga for Kids

1: Yoga can help children feel less stressed and anxious

School-based programs have been shown to be particularly useful for managing stress and anxiety.

Researchers from across the world came together in 2014 to look at the body of evidence.[1]

They concluded that an improvement in a child’s overall mental wellbeing, could be noted as a benefit of practicing yoga.

It can help them deal with depression, as well as the everyday stresses of life created by excessive media consumption.

Little yogis were better able to regulate their emotions and demonstrated improved self-esteem, which led researchers to propose additional future research, and also to start introducing it into the curriculum.

A smaller study in Malaysia, focused on third-grade students, revealed similarly positive results.[2]

Through yoga, kids had developed stress-management techniques that helped them to relax.

Why not get started by helping your little one follow the video below:

2: Yoga can boost children’s concentration and focus

Every child struggles to concentrate sometimes, with so many new and interesting things to look at and learn.

In a paper published by the National Association of School Psychologists, yoga was found to help little minds focus more effectively.[3]

One study looked at kids who had attention problems, but had not been diagnosed with ADHD.

Outcomes not only highlighted their enhanced attention span…

Teachers also commented on how enjoyable their students found the practice, particularly when following video instruction.

Cosmic Kids, an online fitness content creator for little ones, conducted their own study after frequent sessions held in schools.

They reported that 96% of teachers had seen a positive change in a student’s ability to focus, with over half describing it as a marked improvement, too.[4]

3: Yoga improves children’s flexibility, strength and balance

Findings from a project conducted at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, showed how it boosted the motor abilities of those aged between 6 and 8 years old.[5]

Their scores demonstrated notable improvements in flexibility, as well as strength and balance.

Not only that, but benefits were also seen in their social behavior.

A smaller study published in the Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, focused on 7-9 year old school students.[6]

After the 12 week strengthening yoga program, improvements in their physical strength were recorded.

4: Yoga can enhance children’s academic performance

Researchers in the US wanted to understand how the practice could improve the quality of life for fourth and fifth-grade students.[7]

Though based on a fairly small sample, the results were conclusive…

It not only helped with self-esteem and self-regulation but they also saw improved academic performance, with a reduction in stress.

Yoga can also do amazing things for a child’s memory.

In a close look at the therapeutic effects, a team of experts identified two different studies where children managed to improve their memory after consistent practice.[8]

However dig deeper and we see that it’s less about improving the parts of the brain that control memory…

It was more about helping to reduce the anxiety and stress that might inhibit a student’s ability to remember things, for example before an exam or test.[9]

5: Yoga can build a child’s confidence and self-esteem

An innovative project looking at 34 orphanage adolescents and young adults, produced interesting results.

Following just two weeks of practice, reductions were seen in both anxiety and depression symptoms, with significantly elevated self-esteem across the group.

Another way to support your little one with their confidence is by encouraging them to find a relatable positive affirmations for kids.

Using the same principles as yoga, it encourages them to focus inward and celebrate everything that is unique and wonderful about them![10]

6: Yoga can help children’s self-control and behavior

In a paper, published in the Journal of Child and Family Studies, researchers highlighted how yogic exercises could improve an individual’s self-control.[11]

A YogaKids curriculum throughout the school year made them less impulsive, and also more able to wait for a possible reward!

Further classroom-based research, demonstrated that children who enjoyed yoga as part of the curriculum, showed significant improvements in behavior.[12]

This was particularly noticeable for second-grade students.

7: Yoga promotes healthy eating in children

If you want to get your kids to eat better, a change of mindset might help.

Project EAT in Minnesota, sought to understand how yoga intervention could encourage healthy eating and exercise.[13]

It was a major piece of work, looking at 1,820 teens and young adults and results were encouraging.

After sessions, participants were shown to eat more servings of fruit and vegetables.

They also consumed less snack foods, fast food and sugary beverages.

8: Yoga helps children get a better night’s sleep

Half of all kids in the US will suffer from a sleep disorder at some point in their childhood, according to recent sleep statistics.

Frontiers in Psychiatry published a study in 2014, that look at how yogic exercises can impact a child’s mental health and wellbeing.

Regular practice had a positive impact on the quality of their sleep.[14]

9: Yoga can be beneficial for children with asthma

A 2019 project at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in India, aimed to reduce drug dependency and improve asthma control among chronically asthmatic children.[15]

It was a major project, with 450 participants across four different cities.

Those involved had better asthma control and symptoms were reduced.

Amazingly, the education program even helped participants reduce their drug intake.

10: Yoga could have advantages for children with ADHD

Research conducted in 2015, demonstrated the significant impact it could have on the symptoms of ADHD.[16]

Improvements were seen in impulsivity, hyperactivity and anxiety.

A separate study in India, followed 69 students between the age of 6 and 11, for one year as they took part in a yoga, meditation and play therapy program.[17]

Not only were improvements seen in ADHD symptoms, but also in their academic performance which was sustained over a 12 month period.

11: Yoga might help children with autism

48 children with autism, between the ages of 8 and 14, were studied by a team looking at the benefits of the therapy on autism spectrum disorders.[18]

They observed that the majority demonstrated improved symptoms.

These included, increased tolerance of sitting and adult proximity as well as better socialization.

Backed up by quantitative results, data showed immune activity to be regularized.