Breathing exercises for preschool children

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Respiration is the most important human life support system. But babies are born with an undeveloped pulmonary system, as a result of which, under the age of 7 years, they often get sick and catch viral diseases. You can strengthen the child's immunity if you do simple exercises every day that will strengthen the respiratory system. You can read about breathing exercises for children of different ages in this article.

What is breathing exercises?

What is breathing exercises? This is a set of exercises aimed at developing the pulmonary system. During classes, the child’s breathing becomes much deeper, a larger volume of the lungs is involved, which means that more blood and oxygen begin to flow into them. Breathing exercises are effective in the treatment of various bronchial diseases (including asthma), overwork, hyperactivity, insomnia and a number of other common diseases. Currently breathing practicesearned recognition from doctors and millions of people who were able to improve their he alth thanks to them. In medicine, there are many copyright and other methods. Breathing exercises can be divided into those that are performed by the person himself, and those that are performed using various devices. The most popular non-device methods include:

• Yoga - a well-known practice exists in the children's version. Of course, it is greatly simplified, but the most important element - asanas - remained in baby yoga. During the exercises, excellent ventilation of the lungs appears due to deep breathing, and the baby's nervous system and body get a boost in development.
• Gymnastics Strelnikova. It includes exercises that involve the legs, neck and head. The set of exercises is quite classic, but extensive, so each parent can choose what he likes best.
• Methodology of K. Buteyko. In this case, it is proposed to practice shallow breathing with an exhalation delay. This set of exercises causes quite a lot of controversy.

This is only a small part of the existing breathing exercises, but they are all somewhat similar to each other. At the heart of all techniques, one can find the main elements of breathing: holding, slowing down, deepening the breath. Among the hardware methods, the most famous are the pressure chamber, Doman masks and the method of additional breathing space by A. Galuzin.

Benefits of exercise

Breathing exercises for childrenpreschool age can bring them a lot of benefits. Certainly positive effects include:

• Easier breathing in bronchial asthma, obstructive bronchitis and other lung diseases. In this case, not only improvement can occur, but also a complete cure for such sores. But during pneumonia, it is strictly forbidden to use breathing practices - this way you will only worsen the course of the disease.
• Improvement of cerebral circulation, attention, concentration, reduction of hyperactivity. It has been proven that many neurological symptoms in children occur due to disorders of the pulmonary system. The blood just doesn't get enough oxygen, and the baby doesn't develop as it should.
• Chronic sinusitis and rhinitis are also effectively treated with breathing exercises. The main thing is to engage with the child not during an exacerbation of the disease.
• Insomnia and sleep disturbances in almost all cases disappear immediately after the start of a set of exercises. Breathing exercises in the fresh air allow you to do what no doctors and pills can do - put the child to bed on time.
• Proper development, growth and many other factors chain from the ability to breathe correctly. Having the opportunity to breathe in the air with a full breast, the child's body heals as a whole, and immediately many problems that at first glance are not related to breathing disappear.

Safety comes first

However, breathing exercises with babies, especially preschoolers, canlead to very sad consequences if you do not follow the technique of performing the exercise. With the help of breathing exercises, children learn to expand and contract their chest consciously, with the help of inhalations and exhalations. It is extremely important to pay attention to the exhalation, because if it is not strong enough, some carbon dioxide remains in the lungs, which prevents them from functioning normally.

Experts recommend not to load the kids too much: it is best to do breathing exercises for children in kindergarten or at home for 10-15 minutes. At the same time, at least 2 hours should pass after eating. It is best to exercise outside (if warm) or in a ventilated area. There will be no sense in studying in a stuffy gym.

Besides this, in absolutely all methods, the following rules must be observed:

• Inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth.
• Shoulders should always be down.
• It is better to try to make the exhalation not sharp, but smoother and longer.
• Adults also need to make sure that the baby's cheeks do not puff up, otherwise the lungs will not work properly.
• Game elements can be used during the activity so that children can better keep their attention during the exercise.

You most likely will not achieve the ideal performance of breathing exercises in children. But, even following only a few rules, you can achieve a very significant improvement in the he alth of babies.

Breathing exercises for children from 6 years old

Respiratory gymnastics complexes are performed not only in kindergartens, but also in schools. Performing breathing exercises has a positive effect on both the he alth and academic performance of children: they rest and return to the classroom with renewed vigor. Here is a set of breathing exercises that can be done with children 6-8 years old:

1. The student stands straight, his arms extended along the body. He needs to take a deep breath through his nose and hold his breath for 2-3 seconds. While inhaling, you need to start slowly raising your arms until they are above your head. Then they are slowly lowered while exhaling.
2. In the second exercise, you need to keep your hands already in front of you. After a sharp breath, the children should quickly take their hands as far back as possible, and then return them to their original position, and repeat this movement several times. Air must be kept in the lungs. Then the child should forcefully exhale through the mouth.
3. The third exercise is similar to the second with one exception: the students make circular swings with their hands and hold their breath at the same time. After the end of the movement, a strong exhalation follows through the mouth.
4. The fourth exercise is a "hug" to yourself. Pupils should sharply throw their hands towards each other so that they can reach the back of the shoulder blades. You can not change the position of the hands during the exercise. Simultaneously with the throws, you need to take a breath. This exercise is very effective and can be used as a standalone exercise. It will be enough to perform 8 breaths of 4 repetitions.

As the child grows, breathing exercises become more difficult and longer. Children 6-8 years old can already be taught to hold their breath for a few seconds, and as they grow older, this period can lengthen.

Breathing exercises for preschoolers

What breathing exercises for preschool children can be distinguished?

1. The most popular exercise that every "beginner" should start with is "Palms". Breathing exercises for Strelnikova's children begin with just such an activity. The child should stand up, bending his elbows and turning his palms outward so that they look away from him. During a quick and sharp inhalation through the nose, the fists should be compressed, and in the process of a long and slow exhalation, they should be unclenched. If the child is bored, you can invite him to imagine that he is a dog that sniffs around, tracking down prey. The prey can be, for example, the baby's favorite toy.
2. Exercise "Driver" also involves the baby's lungs and arms. Starting position: standing, arms bent and fists at waist level. During exhalation, the child unbends his arms and relaxes his fingers, and during inhalation bends them back.
3. Exercise "Pump" quite often amuses kids. During it, the child must make rocking movements, then bending over, then coming back to the starting position. Children should stand, slightly hunched over, leaning forward and with their heads down, while their arms should hang with whips along the body.
4. If the child is bored with performing the same movements, you cantry a little more active exercise. In breathing exercises for children 4 years old, the exercise "Kitty" is especially popular. During it, simultaneously with a shallow squat, turn the body to the right and inhale sharply. Then, while exhaling, return to the starting position: standing, with feet shoulder-width apart. The arms should also bend while inhaling.

For children 3 years old, such exercises may still be too complicated, so simplified techniques have been developed specifically for them.

Breathing exercises for the little ones

The main goal of exercises for babies under 3 years old is to establish proper breathing, which involves the diaphragm and lower chest. Classes at this age are more like a fun game. Trying to imitate you, the child simultaneously learns to breathe correctly.

• Exercise "Smell the flower": you need to take a flower, a fragrant bun or other object with a pleasant smell. When inhaling the aroma through the nose, make sure that the mouth of the crumbs is closed. Then you can exhale through your mouth, uttering the sound "ah-ah-ah-ah." This exercise trains not only the respiratory system, but also the pronunciation of sounds.
• "Flight of the butterfly" - cut out several butterflies from loose paper and put them side by side. Then arrange a competition with your child: take turns blowing on them and measure whose butterfly “flew” further.
• Blowing ordinary soap bubbles can also greatly strengthen the baby's lungs. Try to teach your baby to blow big bubbles, butAs you do this, watch his breathing: the inhalation should be sharp and nasal, and the exhalation should be deep.
• Elevator game: have the child lie on his back, and you put a toy on his stomach. Say that he is an “elevator” for the animal and ask him to lift the toy a couple of “floors” up with his stomach. With the help of this simple technique, diaphragmatic breathing is trained, which is responsible for the proper development of the lungs.

Breathing exercises while walking

It has been proven that breathing exercises for children in the garden are most effective when performed outdoors. Therefore, at any opportunity, in warm and good weather, you can do the following exercises:

• Everyone is familiar with the "turntables" that spin from the wind and are sold in every children's store. They are bright enough to be fun even for toddlers. Have your child create their own wind and blow on the spinner so that it starts moving.
• In plastic transparent bottles you can put plastic balls or light beads, and give the baby a straw. After he blows into it, the balls will “dance”, which will undoubtedly amuse the baby a lot.
• On the street, where there is room for running and movement, you can play Birds. This breathing exercise for children 5 years old will add variety to the walk. The kid should stand with his feet shoulder-width apart and hands down. During inhalation, he needs to spread his arms to the side and take a breath, and as he exhales, lower his hands back andsay “Karrr.”

Tips from pediatricians

Pediatricians around the world advise parents to use breathing exercises for children. They advise doing the exercises two or once a day: before breakfast and after dinner (but not before bedtime). It is better to start with one of the simplest exercises so that the child gets used to the regimen and understands the essence of breathing exercises. Like other activities, breathing exercises are best done every day at the same time. Gradually, the exercises can be complicated, but all the time you should carefully monitor so that the baby does not overwork.

At such an early age, positive emotions during classes are of great importance, so try to entertain your baby properly. The use of various props and toys will increase the child's motivation, which means that breathing exercises will have their healing effect faster.

Parent reviews

Parents' reviews of respiratory gymnastics complexes for children are mostly positive. Russian mothers and fathers are especially attracted by Strelnikova's technique - after all, it is the most understandable and convenient form of breathing exercises. Gymnastics does not require physical strength and takes only 10-15 minutes a day. At the same time, it brings enormous benefits: parents note an improvement in well-being, higher academic performance, a decrease in the number of diseases in their children.

Results

If your child has he alth problems andyou are already tired of sitting on sick leave, perhaps you should turn not to doctors and pills, but to the natural reserves of the human body. With some simple regular exercise, your child's quality of life can improve significantly, and he or she will become much more energetic and he althier.