How often do you get to hear 5-year-olds calling out for their
favorite yoga pose?
How often do you get to hear 5-year-olds calling out for their favorite yoga pose?
Just about every week, if you happen to be around R.O. Hardin Elementary School on a Friday during the “Fit for Kids” kindergarten wellness class.
Hardin is the site for a “pilot program” in diabetes education and prevention sponsored by the Hazel Hawkins Hospital Foundation, and organizers are already pleased with early results after just a few weeks.
“This is doing really well at R.O. Hardin,” said Kristy Burchard, one of the program’s coordinators.
Last year local health and education leaders met to determine what could be done to fight a rising diabetes rate in San Benito County. According to the foundation, San Benito County has the highest percentage of overweight and “unfit” children in the state at 35 percent.
To combat that sobering figure, “Fit For Kids” was developed, a program to visit local schools and teach students and their families about the benefits of healthy eating and physical activity.
“We decided to start with the kindergartners because we can reach all 120 of them (at R.O. Hardin),” Burchard said. “And why not start them young? We can teach them healthy habits right off the bat.”
“Fit For Kids” received a $14,700 grant two weeks ago to help fund its first foray into the community, starting with a weekly yoga class for R.O. Hardin kindergartners. Yoga is an old discipline from India which uses breathing techniques, exercise and meditation to improve mental and physical health.
“Yoga was ideal because you really don’t need any equipment or a whole lot of space, and it’s easy for the kids to try this at home,” Burchard said.
One might associate “yoga” with complicated acts of contortion, but instructors Robin Pollard and Christine Breen have put together a 20-minute routine with kid-friendly poses like “Kitty-Cat,” “Turtle,” “Dragon” and “Rainbow,” and say the students are actually quite receptive.
“Kids are very flexible; they haven’t lost it yet,” said Pollard. “They’re coming along very well. They pay attention and they’re knowing what to do next.”
And the stress-busting benefits of the stretches aren’t lost on the kindergarteners either.
“Kids are actually put under a lot of stress,” Breen said. “Their days are longer, the academics are tougher, it just seems like a lot is coming at them a lot faster these days.”
Yoga classes are just the beginning, organizers said. Long-term, they hope to bring these classes to more Hollister School District campuses, if not all, and offer other activities.
“We thought hip-hop dance is something we might try next, because the kids can get into it and it’s also fairly inexpensive,” Burchard said. “Or something like different jump rope exercises.”
Yoga for kids is becoming increasingly popular – a Google search for the phrase turns up more than 6 million hits. Pollard and Breen said there are a wealth or resources available for parents who want to bring a little Zen into their children’s activities.
“This is something you can do any time in your living room,” Pollard said. “We hope that the kids will bring this home for their parents.”
Danielle Smith covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or ds****@fr***********.com.
