Recreational yoga sessions to improve balance in high school children

Abstract

Balance is a fundamental skill in children's motor development, especially during the preparatory stage, as it enables the safe performance of physical activities and promotes proper body posture. However, the rise in childhood sedentary behavior and the limited inclusion of playful strategies in the curriculum have contributed to the deterioration of this ability. In this context, recreational yoga emerges as an innovative pedagogical tool capable of integrating movement, attention, and emotional self-regulation from an early age. This study was based on a literature review of indexed scientific research and interviews with two teachers, aiming to analyze the impact of recreational yoga on balance in preparatory education children. The findings show that yoga programs lasting at least eight weeks with a frequency of two to three sessions per week lead to significant improvements in standardized tests such as the BOT-2 and the Flamingo Test. In addition, the interviewed teachers reported progress in body stability, postural alignment, and motor confidence in children. It is concluded that recreational yoga represents an effective, accessible, and pedagogically viable strategy to promote integral development and body awareness in early education.