Top 5 Tips to Help with Body Control
Tip 1
Develop your posture and core - try some simple balance poses.
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Pose 1: From standing position, step one foot back, placing the foot so that it is facing slightly outwards. Take your arms up in parallel to the ground, bend your front knee, and look forward. Pretend to be a surfer and use your strength to catch tricky waves.
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Pose 2: Stand on one leg, bend your knee, place the sole of your foot on the opposite inner thigh, and balance. Sway like a tree. Think of trees being kind by offering shade, creating oxygen, and providing homes to animals. |
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Pose 3: Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, bend you knees, and keep a straight spine. Hold your hands out in front of you, pretending to grasp ski poles as you fly down a ski run like a brave and fearless skier. |
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Pose 4: Bend down and place your palms flat on the ground. Step your feet back to create an upside-down V shape with your buttocks high in the air. Straighten your legs, relax your head and neck, and look down between your legs. Think of being an eager and friendly dog. |
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Pose 5: Drop your knees to the ground and come to rest upright on your heels. Then pretend to be a wise owl perched on a tree. Twist your upper body one way and then the other. |
Tip 2
Body awareness and planning. Get outside and use equipment, whether this is at a play park, an activity centre, riding your bicycle, hopscotch or games at home, it all builds our muscles and helps us know how we move.
Tip 3
Think about where you sit during a task and for how long.
Children should never complain their back or neck is sore, if they do then it means they are spending too much time bent over a task. When sitting at a table children’s feet should touch the floor, lying on the ground means they can move freely.
Tip 4
Encourage exploration and adventure. Play mirror games where you or your child copy each other, for example when drying off after a bath talk about which part of the body you are drying, when getting dressed you could label the body parts.
Tip 5
If your child is between 5 and 18 years of age, ensure that they are physically active for at least 1 hour a day.