Yoga guide
Yoga can be a fun way for children and teenagers to build strength, balance and calm. In school trials it improved mood, attention, flexibility and fitness about as much as physical education (PE) lessons did, and children enjoyed it, though most of the studies are small.
It's one part of an active week, not the whole of it: children need an average of at least 60 minutes a day of activity that makes them breathe faster, with running and jumping for their bones.
This guide covers what a children's class involves, what the trials found, the right age to start, staying safe, poses with animal names, and a 20-minute class to do together. If your child has a limp or sudden pain in the hip, thigh or knee, start with the warning signs.
The UK Chief Medical Officers ask children and young people aged 5 to 18 for an average of at least 60 minutes a day of moderate-to-vigorous activity across the week, with a mix that builds movement skills, muscles and bones. Most yoga is gentler than that, so add running, jumping and play.
Children's classes use animal poses, breathing games, songs, stories and a short rest at the end. A UK school programme used warrior, downward dog, cobra, tree, boat, chair and bridge, with humming breath and relaxation.
Reviews of school yoga are encouraging for mood and anxiety, but none of 21 school trials was at low risk of bias. Against normal PE lessons, yoga mostly did about as well, not better.
In one trial of 131 schoolchildren, yoga twice a week for 12 weeks improved attention more than PE. In children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), yoga and similar mind-body exercise helped attention but not hyperactivity.
Choose beginner poses, a teacher used to children, and a normal room temperature. Leave out headstands, shoulder stands and fast, forceful breathing, and don't let children push into pain.
Sudden pain in the hip, thigh or knee, a limp, or not putting any weight on one leg needs an urgent GP appointment or NHS 111 the same day. The full list is in the warning signs below.
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Yoga Alliance's standard for schools that train children's yoga teachers (95 hours) covers children's development from age 2 to 15, "yoga-based games and activities, breathing techniques and chanting", teaching through "songs and stories", safe touch, and the law on supervising children. Classes for younger children are mostly play, with poses named after animals and nature.
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In India, 98 children aged 8 to 13 did breathing, poses, guided relaxation and chanting for 45 minutes a day, 5 days a week, for 3 months. In south-west England, 9 to 11 year olds had one 40-minute lesson a week for 4 weeks, with poses such as warrior, downward dog, crab, cobra, plank, locust, boat, eagle, tree, chair and bridge, plus humming breath and relaxation.
Other trials used two 30-minute sessions a week for 12 weeks in kindergarten, 40 minutes twice a week for 12 weeks in primary school, and 30 minutes 5 times a week for 6 months.
A US high school trial taught a gentle style of postures, breathing, relaxation and meditation 2 to 3 times a week for 10 weeks, in place of normal PE. Teenagers can usually join a normal beginners' class (our suggestion).
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A school safety resource from the University of Alberta recommends certified teachers and beginner poses for younger children. The British Wheel of Yoga built its child safeguarding policy with the Child Protection in Sport Unit and the NSPCC (the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children). Ask a teacher about their training with children and their safeguarding policy (our suggestion).
The UK Chief Medical Officers say children and young people aged 5 to 18 "should engage in moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity for an average of at least 60 minutes per day across the week", and in "a variety of types and intensities of physical activity across the week to develop movement skills, muscular fitness and bone strength". Toddlers and pre-school children need at least 180 minutes a day of activity of any kind, which for 3 and 4 year olds includes 60 minutes that is moderate to vigorous.
The World Health Organization adds vigorous activity, and activity that strengthens muscles and bones, on at least 3 days a week. The NHS suggests disabled children and young people aim for 20 minutes of activity a day, split into smaller chunks if needed, with challenging but manageable strength and balance activities 3 times a week.
Neither guideline mentions yoga. The Chief Medical Officers say "Bone strengthening involves moderate and high impact activities", and most yoga has little impact, so our reading is that yoga counts as strength and balance work rather than bone work, as our Pilates for kids guide says of Pilates. Our 20-minute class adds star jumps and animal crawls for that reason.
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A review of 21 school trials called the results encouraging, but rated 10 trials at high risk of bias, 12 with some concerns and none at low risk, and most were small. In a review of 27 studies, 70% found less anxiety or low mood, but the studies were of weak to moderate quality. Earlier reviews of 9 school trials and 34 controlled studies were also positive, with low-quality studies and no side effects reported.
In 22 studies of exercise in children and teenagers, exercise training eased anxiety by a moderate amount. Moderate and hard exercise did, but low-intensity programmes and the group of yoga, balance and flexibility programmes didn't make a clear difference.
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In 344 British 9 to 11 year olds, body image and mood improved after 4 weekly yoga lessons, and just as much with normal PE, and the children rated the yoga very highly. In 98 Indian children, the only difference after 3 months favoured PE (social self-esteem). In two small US high school trials, yoga students held steady or improved on mood while PE students worsened on some measures, and in a middle school programme the changes weren't clear.
In one trial of 131 Chinese schoolchildren, 40 minutes of yoga twice a week for 12 weeks improved attention more than PE or no extra activity, with the assessors not told who did what. In 802 Indian teenagers, an hour a day of yoga or of physical exercise for 2 months improved a test of attention and working memory equally.
In pooled trials, yoga and similar mind-body exercise improved attention in ADHD but not hyperactivity, emotions or planning skills. A Cochrane review of meditation therapies, two of its four trials of yoga, couldn't draw any conclusions. In 23 preschool children with ADHD symptoms, 6 weeks of yoga gave modest gains on an attention test. Our exercise for ADHD guide says the same: helpful for attention, alongside more active exercise.
In 802 Indian teenagers, aerobic fitness improved just as much with daily yoga as with daily physical exercise. In 232 rural Indian children aged 6 to 11, yoga 5 times a week for 6 months matched PE for muscle force. In one small trial of 54 five-year-olds, two 30-minute yoga sessions a week for 12 weeks improved flexibility, other motor skills and self-esteem more than PE. In rural India, yoga also raised girls' everyday activity. A single session of 10 sun salutations made 100 schoolchildren's trunks more flexible, but there was no comparison group.
A review of 8 studies found the evidence inconclusive: the studies were small and most had no comparison group. A trial of 43 children in special schools reported better gross motor skills, social communication, irritability and withdrawal after 45-minute yoga sessions for 12 weeks. Our exercise for autistic children guide has more.
In 5 pooled trials (480 children aged 8 to 16), yoga added to asthma medicines gave small gains in lung function, but asthma control and quality of life didn't change. In 9 studies of children and teenagers with obesity, yoga lowered body mass index (BMI) and body fat.
For long-term tummy pain, one trial (69 children aged 8 to 18) found 58% improved by half or more a year after yoga was added to usual care, against 29% with usual care, though there was no difference during the course. In another, dance and yoga twice a week for 8 months reduced tummy pain in girls aged 9 to 13. Our yoga for digestion guide covers these.
The American Academy of Pediatrics' report on mind-body therapies, including yoga, says "a growing body of evidence supports the effectiveness and safety of mind-body therapies in pediatrics", and offers them to help concentration, pain, discomfort and anxiety. The review of yoga nidra (guided relaxation lying down) for children that we read was a narrative review, not a trial.
We found no guideline that sets a minimum age. Children's yoga teachers are trained for ages 2 to 15, and trials included preschool children aged 3 to 5. What changes with age is how it's taught.
Our suggestion, in the spirit of the children's teaching standard and our Pilates for kids guide:
In a series of 66 people treated in Canadian emergency departments for yoga injuries (median age 19), sprains were the commonest injury and the legs the commonest area, and children were more often hurt while being taught than adults were. The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) says the most common yoga injuries are sprains and strains, most often of the knee or lower leg, and that serious injuries are rare.
NCCIH advises people new to yoga to avoid headstands, shoulder stands, the lotus position and forceful breathing, and the University of Alberta school resource says advanced poses "should never be taught to beginners / young children". Our Down syndrome guide adds that children with Down syndrome should leave out headstands, shoulder stands and the plough unless a doctor has checked their neck.
Breathing games for children should be slow and gentle, with no holding. Fast, forceful breathing is one of the practices NCCIH tells beginners to avoid, and our exercise for autistic children guide notes that deliberate fast, deep over-breathing can bring on absence seizures in some children.
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Many children are very flexible. For hypermobile joints, the Hypermobility Syndromes Association suggests "Yoga (focused on strengthening and control rather than increasing flexibility)" and keeping joints out of the end of their range, and the NHS advises gentle exercise and regular breaks. Praise balance and stillness rather than how far a child can bend.
We found no study of hot yoga in children. The University of Alberta school resource says the room temperature "should not exceed 30°C, i.e., hot yoga is not recommended", and the NHS says to check on children in hot weather because they are more at risk of heat exhaustion and heatstroke.
The American Academy of Pediatrics puts it differently: healthy children and teenagers who drink enough cope with exercising in the heat about as well as adults, and the main risks (too much effort, too little fluid, too little recovery and heavy clothing) can be managed. Our suggestion is to skip hot yoga for children. That is a precaution, not a finding from a trial.
Our wording and dose for children (editorial). The move's page gives the adult NHS exercise; NCCIH advises beginners to avoid forceful breathing.
See the movement on the 3D figure: Slow breathing (6 breaths a minute)
Hold each pose for 3 to 5 breaths, or count slowly to 5 (our editorial starting point for children), and give them names: mountain, tree or flamingo, warrior, lightning bolt (chair), dog, cat and cow, snake (cobra), boat, butterfly, happy baby and mouse (child's pose). Keep the foot off the side of the knee in tree, and bend the knees in downward dog.
3D demoMountain pose (Tadasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoTree pose (Vrksasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoWarrior II (Virabhadrasana II)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoChair pose (Utkatasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoDownward-facing dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoCat-cowBeginner · No equipment
3D demoLow cobra (Bhujangasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoBoat pose (Navasana)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoBound angle pose (Baddha Konasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoHappy baby pose (Ananda Balasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoChild's Pose (Balasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoCorpse pose (Savasana)Beginner · No equipmentA minute of marching and a few rounds of star jumps warm up, and bear and crab crawls build strength. For children, 2 crawls of about 5 metres each is plenty (our editorial starting point; the moves' pages give adult doses).
Leave out poses that put weight on the head or neck (headstand, shoulder stand, plough), advanced poses (handstands, forearm stands, wheel and camel) and the lotus position. Legs up the wall, held briefly, gives teenagers an upside-down feeling without weight on the neck (our suggestion).
3D demoSupported headstand (Salamba Sirsasana)Expert · A wall
3D demoSupported shoulderstand (Salamba Sarvangasana)Advanced · No equipment
3D demoPlow pose (Halasana)Advanced · No equipment
3D demoHandstand at the wall (Adho Mukha Vrksasana, chest to wall)Advanced · A wall
3D demoForearm stand (Pincha Mayurasana)Advanced · A wall
3D demoWheel pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana)Advanced · No equipment
3D demoCamel pose (Ustrasana)Intermediate · No equipmentStart with the 20-minute yoga for kids class 2 or 3 times a week. The animal moves workout adds more jumping for bones, the Pilates class is a sister session, and teenagers can follow the beginner yoga flow or the strength workout for teenagers.
Twenty minutes of animal poses, star jumps, crawls, balloon breaths and a short relaxation for children, with no headstands or shoulder stands.
20 minBeginner17 movesNo equipmentFifteen minutes of animal moves, jumps and balance games for children, building the muscle- and bone-strengthening activity they need, with nothing to buy.
15 minBeginner16 movesA wallA 20-minute Pilates class for children: star jumps, the hundred, swimming, animal crawls and balance games, finishing with slow, calm breathing.
20 minBeginner14 movesNo equipmentA 20-minute beginner yoga sequence: mountain, chair, warrior II, triangle, tree, down dog, cobra and child's pose.
20 minBeginner11 movesA stepA 12-minute movement break in three parts that stay the same every time: moves to wake up, balance moves to focus, then slow muscle work and a calm finish.
12 minBeginner12 movesA wallA 40-minute first strength workout for teenagers: a warm-up, landing and jump drills, then squats, hinges, push-ups, rows, step-ups and carries, kept light.
40 minBeginner19 movesA wall, A dumbbellFor teenagers who want to get stronger, with yoga as one of the week's sessions.
From our exercise for children guide, which also lists the signs of a bad asthma attack or a serious head injury:
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From our exercise for children guide:
Stop any pose that hurts: a child shouldn't push through pain to keep up or to copy a bendier friend. If a child feels dizzy, faint or tingly during a breathing game, stop, sit them down and let them breathe normally (our suggestion). No weight on the head or neck, and no fast, forceful breathing.
The NHS says the signs of heat exhaustion are often the same in adults and children: tiredness, dizziness, a headache, feeling or being sick, heavy sweating, cramps, a high temperature, being very thirsty and feeling irritable. Move them somewhere cool, give them fluids and cool their skin. Call 999 if they are still unwell after 30 minutes of resting in a cool place, being cooled and drinking fluids, or they have a very high temperature, hot skin that isn't sweating, a fast heartbeat or fast breathing, confusion, a fit or they lose consciousness.
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The NHS says children and young people should get medical advice about exercising if they have a health condition. Tell the teacher about asthma, epilepsy, diabetes, very bendy joints, Down syndrome, a recent injury or any medicine.
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The NSPCC helpline is 0808 800 5000, and children and young people can call Childline free on 0800 1111.
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They can: sprains were the commonest yoga injury in Canadian emergency departments, and children were more often hurt while being taught than adults were. Serious injuries are rare, and simple poses with no weight on the head or neck keep the risk low.
No study has tested hot yoga in children. A school safety resource says rooms shouldn't go above 30°C and doesn't recommend hot yoga, and the NHS counts children among those more at risk in the heat. The American Academy of Pediatrics says healthy children who drink enough cope with heat about as well as adults, but nothing shows heat makes yoga better for them.
Children need an average of at least 60 minutes a day of moderate-to-vigorous activity, and activities with impact for their bones. Yoga is one part of that: add running, jumping and play.
Reviews are positive, but the trials are small and at risk of bias, gentle exercise didn't clearly ease anxiety in a large analysis, and against PE yoga mostly did as well rather than better. One trial found better attention; none has tested school grades over time.
Very bendy children need strength and control, not more range, and advanced poses aren't for young children or beginners.
No guideline we found sets one, and trials included preschool children. What changes with age is the teaching: games for young children, beginners' classes for teenagers.
Yes, as one part of an active week. Trials found improvements in mood, attention, flexibility and fitness, often about as much as PE lessons gave, though most studies are small. Children still need an average of an hour a day of activity that makes them breathe harder, with jumping and running for their bones.
There's no evidence-based minimum: trials included children from 3 to 5 years old, and children's yoga teachers train to teach ages 2 to 15. Younger children do best with short sessions built around games and animal poses, and teenagers can join a beginners' class.
Generally, yes, with simple poses and a teacher used to working with children. Injuries do happen, mostly sprains, so children shouldn't push into pain, go upside down on their head or neck, or do fast, forceful breathing.
We suggest skipping it, as a precaution. No study has tested hot yoga in children, and a school safety resource says the room shouldn't go above 30°C. The American Academy of Pediatrics says healthy children who drink enough cope with heat about as well as adults, but there's no evidence heat makes yoga better for them.
It may help a little. Reviews of school yoga are encouraging, but the studies are small and none was rated at low risk of bias, and in one large analysis gentle, low-intensity exercise didn't clearly ease anxiety. If worries are affecting your child's daily life, talk to your GP.
It may help attention but not hyperactivity: in pooled trials, mind-body exercise such as yoga improved attention only. Use it as a calming activity alongside more active exercise and your child's usual care.
The evidence is inconclusive. Small studies report better motor skills and social responsiveness, but most had no comparison group. Short, predictable sessions with clear demonstrations are a reasonable thing to try.
Simple animal and nature poses: mountain, tree, warrior, chair, dog, cat and cow, snake (cobra), boat, butterfly, happy baby and child's pose, with star jumps and bear and crab walks for energy. School trials used poses like these, with breathing and a short relaxation.
Slow belly breathing for children: hands on the tummy, breathe in through the nose to blow up the balloon, then let it go down slowly. Keep it gentle, with no holding, and stop and breathe normally if your child feels dizzy.
Neither has been shown to be better, as our Pilates for kids guide says: both build strength, balance and flexibility, and the best one is the one your child enjoys. Both work best as one part of a week with running, jumping and play.
Trials ran from one 40-minute lesson a week for 4 weeks to 45 minutes every school day for 3 months. Two or three short sessions a week on top of daily active play is a sensible start.
In one trial, adding yoga to usual care helped more children with long-term tummy pain a year later, and a dance and yoga programme helped girls aged 9 to 13. See a GP first to check the cause.
Exercise education, not a personal prescription, and clinical review of these guides is pending. If you are pregnant, have a health condition such as glaucoma, high blood pressure or osteoporosis, or have had recent surgery, check with a doctor, midwife or physiotherapist before starting, and stop for sharp or increasing pain. Health disclaimer.
