Thursday, March 8, 2012

Games That Build Core Strength for Kids

"Funny Football" is a fun game that
helps kids build core strength
We hear many references in the fitness industry to building "core" strength. The body's 'core' refers to the muscles of the abdomen, pelvis, hips & and back & neck. The "core"  is  body’s center of gravity and affects all functional movement & postural activities: sitting to standing, walking to running, jumping, playing and more. The core muscles are responsible for alignment of the skeleton (bones) and for providing internal pressure for digestion & to detoxify the body by expelling substances (vomit, urine, carbon-laden air, etc.) These muscles are continually at work stabilizing the body against the force of gravity.

When looking for activities & exercises to help encourage a stronger core for children, keep in mind that the major abdominal muscles have very specific & limited action. There are many different minor muscles (and ligaments, tendons and nerves) that assist in stabilizing the spine and pelvis, and run the entire length of the front & back midsection of the body. Exercises, games and other activities need to focus not just on the front abdominal region, but on a variety of groups of muscles that run from the hips up to the shoulders & neck.

Signs of poor core strength are: tiring easy,  poor posture, decreased body awareness, head hanging or holding up head while sitting, poor self image, constipation and frequent injuries. Poor core strength results in poor proprioception, motor planning and balance due to unnecessary torso movement and swaying during all other body movements. This is tiring and frustrating to the student and can lead to de-motivation.

Good core strength will improve posture, digestion & elimination, confidence and concentration, increase energy level and improve balance and motor planning. The key is to keep in fun and challenging. I like to call the exercises & activities "Games" to young children because exercise should always be fun. Try these beginner, intermediate & advanced activities for younger children:

Downward Dog
Dogs Chasing Frisbees: (Beginner) Each student gets 2 Frisbees, one for each hand. Place them on the floor, curved side up, in front of the student. Each student stands in front of the Frisbees and bends down, (Downward Dog-pictured at left) placing one hand in each Frisbee. Students must bend knees & "Dog Walk" as the push the Frisbees to the other side of the room.  (Encourage the children to squat or dog-walk-not crawl.) You can make this a relay race or even have the kids go through an "Obstacle Course" to find the bone at the end of the course. (you can mark off with tape or use plastic cones and  cutouts for the bones.)

Bridge Pose
Photo by B.Gini @2009
The Bridge Game: (Beginner/Intermediate) Have children lay side by side and hold a "Bridge Pose" (See photo at right) . See if you can roll a ball underneath them as they stay up. Gradually extend the amount of time the posture is held. You can even sing the  "London Bridge" song.

Funny Football:  (Beginner/Intermediate) Pass a spiky colorful ball around in a circle using only your feet. For added challenge, use a balloon, football or beach ball. Have each person say a letter to spell a word or say the alphabet as the ball passes round the circle. (See Photo at Top of Article)

Don't Rock the Boat: (Intermediate/Advanced) Have children come into "Boat Pose" (see photo at left) and see who can remain the stillest.

To keep this fun for young children, limit the number of repetitions by having them count to their age. (If they are 5 have them hold "Bridge Pose" for 5 big breaths.)  It’s better to do a few repetitions & move on to another activity, and then come back and repeat. This keeps the kids interested & engaged.

Also remember to always remind the children to breath IN through their noses. Its very important for proper respiration, filtering & warming of air, mind/body integration and improved concentration.

For teens or advanced learners, who need a little more of a challenge, here is a down-loadable file showing how to do "Yoga Sit Ups".  I showed this to a teen boy who was going through a sensory-motor therapy program and had reached a plateau with sit ups and "Boat Pose". He started to become bored and de-motivated and needed an additional challenge to keep him interested. He liked this activity and stated that it made him feel "awake" &  "powerful", like he wanted to "run a race". It will provide the additional challenge he needs to take him up to the next level of his therapy.

Keep in mind that any of these postures and activities can be adapted to slower learners and children with lower tone and underdeveloped motor planning. Use bolsters, pillows, props and mats as needed.

For more information on how to adapt activities for children of all abilities, visit our website: www.bodylogique.com  or  Subscribe to S.M.Art Kids / Healthy Kids by Email
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