Health and fitness has always been an integral part of my life. When I found out that I was pregnant in March of 2005, I was overjoyed that I was going to be a mom, but I was also panicked about how it was going to change my body and how I was going to get it back to its pre-pregnancy state. It wasn’t until after I had my son that I realized that life and fitness don’t end when you have a child. My body was still mine. I just had to reclaim it!
Fast forward to today. I’m 36, I have two kids, a husband, a full time job and a growing business…My goals of staying fit have not changed…HOW I make the time and get it done has changed. One of my favorite things to do now is to get my kids on my mat with me! Whether it’s for 5 or 10 minutes, it’s an opportunity to get them involved in my exercise routine.
Here are five quick tips on how I got my kids involved!
1. DO NOT expect them to do a full practice! I know that sounds obvious, but when my son and daughter started to join me, I thought they would just fall in love with yoga and practice the full 30-45 minutes with me. WRONG. Children under the age of 10 do not have that long of an attention span, but they can manage 5-10 minutes on the mat. So, start there!
2. Begin with the basics! Kids love Downward Facing Dog. Another favorite is Cobra pose, Tree Pose, Warrior II and seated Easy Pose or Sukhasana. These are great beginner poses, in general.
3. Teach them…but don’t expect perfection! Teach them the names of the poses. You will be amazed how quickly they will pick them up. Teach them what they SHOULD be doing, and don’t fret if the poses aren’t perfect. Just make sure they are not going to hurt themselves.
4. Get them their own yoga gear! I don’t know about your kids, but mine love to have their own stuff…their own space and their own gear. So maybe look into a toddler mat or even an inexpensive full-sized mat! They will feel grown up and you won’t have to share your mat!
5. Make it fun! Remember to keep it light and fun! In my experience, it’s all about the memories you are building with your child while instilling the importance of fitness. Keep your practice with them consistent. It builds their knowledge and makes it part of their daily routine…something that can last a lifetime!
“The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.” – Audrey Hepburn
Yoga with mini
XOXO
Makes me miss when my 4 were little:]
Love this
Hi Laura, love the article and pics, so inspiring!
I was wondering where you get all your cool leggings?
Namaste,
Amanda
Hello Laura,
I wanted to comment on your link about involving your kids in your yoga, My 18 year old son and I work out together, as well as I have gotten him into acroyoga… He is a basketball player and was having issues with basketball cramps, I taught him some light yoga stretching, next thing you know he was doing it. I am following you and Masumi on IG my handle is PineappleAmy.. there you can see some of our photos, as I wasn’t sure how to post it here for you to see.
A little about me: I was in a bad car accident (hit by a semi on the freeway) totaled my car (squished it-motor came out) and I was left in a wheel chair with no feelings in my legs, nerve damage and multiple disks and vertebrae damaged in my back and neck. after over 1 year of rehab with multiple doctors I started doing my own therapy with Aqua rehab, and eventually added yoga, in late 2010 I had a cervical surgery fusing my entire cervical. (all plates and screws in my neck, no discs its all bone)
Now here it is 2014 and I am able to stand inverted without support, I have been off of medication since 2012 and have not had anymore surgeries. I have come a long way and still have a long way to go but, my SON has been a huge emotional/physical support system for me as I am a single mother. We have incorporated Acroyoga in our quality time… Thanks for speaking on this subject.
Keep motivating,
Amy “Pineapple” Smith
IG; PineappleAmy
FB: Pineapple Amy
OMG! You guys inspire me and my family to make things fun and healthy, we love your work with your kids. What you’ve showed us is a normal family that is just amazing at what they do and that anyone can do great things with just a little bit of inspiration. You guys have brought me and my family together more than we’ve ever been! Thank you so much girls keep up the great work!
Matching outfits so cute. Where can we buy them
Where did you get the matching pants?? thanks!
I love the video!! So cute. My two year old is already a little yogini and has got her downward dog & bridge pose down. After that it’s all about climbing on (or scooting under) me while I practice. It’s really such a GREAT thing to introduce kids to. A total bonding experience too! Thanks for sharing.