On the one hand, children intuitively breathe correctly. A newborn baby breathes using diaphragmatic breathing; he does not need to be taught this, it is inherent in nature. Provided there are no congenital pathologies or breathing problems.
But on the other hand, modern children do not always have the opportunity to breathe air of the highest quality. The air in big cities forces our respiratory system to switch to middle and upper breathing in order to protect us from harmful impurities. As a result, from early childhood the child gets used to breathing shallowly, which is why all the body’s settings suffer.
Content
- The benefits of breathing exercises for preschool children
- Working on breathing: exercises for children
- Exercise "Balloon"
- Exercise “Underwater World”
- Exercise "Puff"
- Exercise “Hippopotamus”
- Exercise "Breathes"
- Exercise "Chicken"
- Breathing exercises for children: additional recommendations
Text of the book “Breathing exercises for children”
E. V. Panteleeva Breathing exercises for children
© Panteleeva E.V., text, 2012
© Publishing House “Chelovek”, 2012
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Introduction
The birth of a child is the most joyful moment in the life of parents. But young children need constant and special care. The sooner you start doing gymnastics with your child, the healthier and more developed your baby will be.
There are whole sets of exercises aimed at child development. However, you should not stop only at the development of the child’s muscle tissue. Particular emphasis should be placed on the baby's respiratory system. After all, young children get sick very often. And this is due to the structure of their respiratory organs. The book will tell you what breathing exercises will help you improve your baby’s health and cure a number of diseases. You will also learn about various massage techniques, thanks to which your baby will grow up as an active and healthy child.
You can use all the techniques described in the book both at home and in children's health centers.
Chapter 1. The benefits of breathing exercises for children
Children, unlike adults, are more susceptible to diseases of the bronchi and lungs. The reasons for this are the structure of the child’s respiratory system, which reduces the child’s body’s ability to resist infections.
The characteristics of the respiratory system of children, which distinguish them from adults, are decisive in the occurrence of diseases of the bronchopulmonary system. First of all, a child’s nose is much smaller than an adult’s nose, which means his nasal passages are narrower. Because of this, children are susceptible to diseases such as rhinitis (runny nose). The narrowing of the nasal passages in children is due to swelling of the nasal mucosa, which is very sensitive due to the presence of a large number of blood vessels. As a result, the child cannot breathe through the nose. He begins to inhale through his mouth, so the infection easily penetrates the lungs and bronchi. Also, breathing through the nose protects the lungs from the penetration of cold air, and if the child breathes through the mouth, then cold air enters the body without heating up. This leads to various kinds of diseases of the respiratory system.
Another vulnerable place in the body of children is the pharynx. It is small in size and narrow. Insufficient development of the pharyngeal lymphatic ring allows infection to easily penetrate the respiratory system. The larynx is no less sensitive to the effects of infection. It is located in the front of the neck and has a funnel shape. Consists of soft cartilage and thin muscles. The mucous membrane of the larynx is rich in blood vessels and very delicate. In the case of an inflammatory process, the lymphoid tissue of the larynx quickly swells, which prevents the child from breathing fully.
The larynx passes into the trachea and bronchi. In this case, in young children, the tracheal lumen has an ellipsoidal shape, but later it takes on the shape of a circle. The trachea is covered with a delicate mucous membrane, rich in blood vessels and mucous glands. The trachea passes into the bronchi at the site of bifurcation (division into two bronchi). In children under 3 years of age, the bifurcation is located at the level of the 3rd thoracic vertebra, and in children over 3 years of age - at the level of the 5th thoracic vertebra. The bronchi are an important part of the airways. They carry air into the lungs and then remove it from the body. If we draw analogies, the bronchi are like a tree turned upside down. The branches of the bronchi are called bronchioles, which become alveoli. Alveoli look like small vesicles. The lungs are made up of them.
The main function of the alveoli is gas exchange.
It occurs due to the activity of capillaries surrounding the alveoli. They absorb oxygen and then release carbon dioxide, which is removed from the body through the bronchi into the external environment. If an inflammatory process occurs in the body, respiratory failure occurs.
Bronchial diseases can occur for a number of reasons. For example, due to exposure to cold or hot air, as well as due to the unfavorable environmental situation of cities where there is a high degree of air pollution. As a result, the lumens of the bronchi are often clogged with mucus in children and bronchitis occurs.
Children are constantly growing, and their lungs are growing with them. So, in the first year of life, lung volume is 65–67 ml, and after 7 years it is already 8 times larger.
If the child is healthy, his breathing is even and calm. Until the age of 2, children inhale and exhale 30–35 times per minute, at the age of 5–6 years – almost 25 inhalations and exhalations, and by the age of 15 they inhale 18–20 times per minute. If a child is sick, his breathing immediately becomes difficult, becomes heavy and tense. Often the child has to make an effort to take a deep breath.
Breathing disorders occur due to complications in the passage of air through the airways. Most often, the child's nose is the first to suffer. His nasal passages narrow and the child begins to breathe through his mouth. This can lead to narrowing of the lower respiratory tract (larynx, trachea, bronchi). The consequences of respiratory dysfunction can be:
• violation of pulmonary ventilation;
• shortness of breath;
• gas exchange disturbance;
• diseases of the cardiovascular system;
• changes in metabolism;
• reduction of the body's protective and adaptive reactions.
Often, when a child gets sick, he tries to move less, and his parents also do not allow him to do physical exercise. But this only makes the situation worse. You should know that breathing exercises allow the body to recover and begin to fight the disease. Therefore, the complex treatment procedure should necessarily include exercises aimed at developing the respiratory system. Gymnastic exercises help to better saturate the body with oxygen, increase gas exchange and strengthen the respiratory muscles. As a result, pulmonary circulation increases, which has a positive effect on the functioning of the heart. And this, in turn, leads to the saturation of the entire body with nutrients.
Daily exercise has a beneficial effect on the body's resistance to various diseases, since as a result of the child's active actions, his adrenal glands more intensively secrete anti-inflammatory hormones. That is why it is believed that physical exercise and breathing exercises contribute to the child’s recovery and also strengthen his body.[1] 1
Sokolova Elena. Inhale - exhale. About the benefits of breathing exercises // https://www.nanya.ru/beta/articles/10096.html.
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Today there are a number of breathing exercises that are divided into categories:
• abdominal (diaphragmatic) breathing;
• various types of breath holdings in the inhalation or exhalation phase;
• combination of inhalation or exhalation with movements of the arms or body;
• performing breathing movements from various starting positions;
• other breathing exercises (for example, prolonged singing, etc.).[2]2
Breathing exercises // https://karina-kazak.narod.ru/phisiol/lectures/lecl/gl3f.html.
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It is worth noting that increasing the level of oxygen in the blood as a result of exercise helps to intensify brain function and also helps fight phlegm. Daily exercise has a positive effect on the functioning of all internal organs.
Both parents at home and teachers in kindergarten can teach a child to perform therapeutic exercises. However, here it should be remembered that children should like gymnastics, otherwise they will perform the exercises reluctantly and the exercises will not give the desired result.
Breathing exercises can be included both in the morning set of exercises and in the afternoon or even evening. At the same time, there is no need to force the child to do all the exercises at once, this is very tiring. It is enough to master 1-2 exercises a day.
When performing breathing exercises, you should carefully monitor the child’s condition. If he suddenly experiences rapid breathing, a sharp change in complexion, trembling of the hands, a feeling of tingling and numbness in the arms and legs, this means that you have overdone it and hyperventilation has occurred.
You can cope with such symptoms through one exercise: put your palms together and bring them to your mouth. Breathe into your palms for a few seconds, taking deep breaths. After some time, the child's condition should improve.
There are several main requirements for performing breathing exercises:
• inhale through the nose;
• shoulders must be motionless;
• exhalation should be longer than inhalation.
Chapter 2. Morning breathing exercises
Breathing is usually divided into four types:
• lower;
• average;
• top;
• complete.
When starting to master breathing exercises, each new exercise should be performed for no more than 1 minute (15 times). As you gain experience, you need to increase the time you perform the exercise by 1 minute every day. However, you should not perform it for more than 5 minutes. This can harm the child's body.
When doing breathing exercises, the child should breathe through the nose. Therefore, air must pass freely through the nasal passages.
When choosing a place for breathing exercises, you should give preference to those where the air is fresh. It could be a forest, a field, or any corner outside the city. But if this is not possible, it is advisable to do the exercises either in the early morning (from 5 to 8 o’clock) or in the evening (from 20 to 22 o’clock).
Breathing exercises in the early morning are very useful due to the fact that at this time the level of air pollution is much lower than at any other time of the day. In addition, at this time the air is more saturated with negative ions, which have a positive effect on the human body. Breathing exercises should be performed every day before gymnastics. In the evening, after breathing exercises, you should not immediately go to bed. It is advisable to wait at least an hour.
If a child has diseases of the bronchi or lungs, you should carefully monitor his well-being during exercises. The child should do the exercises, gradually moving from simple to more complex ones.
The consequences of improper exercise can be increased blood pressure, dizziness, and impaired respiratory function.
Mastering lower breathing
Lower breathing is also called diaphragmatic breathing. Performing exercises aimed at developing lower breathing involves a number of actions:
1. The child lies on the floor so that his head, torso and legs are on the same horizontal line. Never place a pillow under your child's head. Place his right hand on his chest, his left hand on his stomach. The child should relax.
2. The child takes a deep breath, sticking out his stomach. After a while, he exhales, slowly lowering his stomach. Then he inhales and exhales again. At the same time, make sure that the child’s breathing is smooth and without tension.
The child must control his breathing with his hands. If he performs the exercise correctly, his right arm will remain motionless, since the chest is not involved in breathing. At the same time, the left arm will rise and fall with the stomach. Lower breathing has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the internal organs of the abdominal cavity; during breathing, the organs are massaged.
Mastering middle breathing
Medium breathing is also called chest breathing. To master this type of breathing, it is necessary for the child to lie down on the floor and place his right hand on his chest and his left hand on his stomach. Then he exhaled and began to inhale, expanding the chest. During the process of inhalation, the child’s ribs will move apart, due to which the size of the chest will increase. The right arm will rise simultaneously with the chest, and the left will remain motionless.
Mastering upper breathing
Upper breathing is also called clavicular breathing. When performing it, it is necessary for the child to take a horizontal position on the floor and place his hands in such a way as during middle and lower breathing. The child should exhale and begin to draw air into the lungs, gradually raising the upper chest and collarbones. In this case, you need to ensure that the middle part of the chest, arms and stomach remain motionless. This type of breathing fills only the upper part of the lungs with air.
Mastering full breathing
Full breathing is breathing with all parts of the lungs. Before performing this exercise, it is necessary that the child learns to perform lower, middle and upper breathing.
Starting full breathing, the child should take the starting position lying on the floor. He should place his hands as for lower, middle and upper breathing. Then the child exhales, emptying the lungs of air. He begins to gradually inhale air, passing it into the lower section of the lungs, then filling the middle section, and then the upper. The child can monitor the correct breathing with the help of his hands. The inhalation should be smooth, gradually moving from one stage to another. After inhaling, the child should hold his breath for 1-2 seconds and only then exhale.
This exercise should also be started from the lower parts of the lungs. Exhalation should be longer than inhalation.
After you have mastered all the exercises, you can move on to breathing in a vertical position - standing straight. The child's head, neck, torso, and legs should be along the same vertical line. Hands should be lowered along the body, palms relaxed. Initially, you should perform only 5 full breaths, gradually increasing their number. However, you should not take more than 60 full breaths per day. You should only breathe through your nose while doing exercises.
Cleansing Breath
Cleansing breathing is often used in yoga practice. It is the cornerstone of all breathing exercises. Most often, exercises aimed at cleansing the breath are carried out at the end of classes, as they fill the human body with energy and new strength. These exercises will be very useful not only for children, but also for actors, singers, teachers - they are intended specifically for those who strain their lungs every day.
Let's look at the most common exercises.
Exhale forcefully
The child stands up straight, stretches upward, straightening his spine. His arms should hang freely along his body. Then he inhales through his nose a chest full of air and holds his breath. The child stands holding his breath for some time. You can slowly count to yourself to ten. The child purses his lips as if he is about to whistle. At the same time, his cheeks should not be puffed out, he should not release air from his lungs into his mouth. The child exhales a little air, making an effort, as if pushing the air out of the chest. Then he holds his breath again. After counting to 5, he repeats the exhalation. And he holds his breath again. The number of exhalations depends on how deep the child took a breath. The optimal amount is from 5 to 10. Be sure to ensure that the child exhales forcefully.
Like any exercise, it requires practice. Over time, the child will get used to controlling his breathing and feel the beneficial effects of the exercise. It is especially important to perform it after sleep or in the evening: it will help restore strength and refresh the body, saturating it with oxygen.
In order to perform exercises as productively as possible, you need to carefully prepare for them. To do this, you can do, for example, the following warm-up:
• The child stands up straight, his arms are relaxed. He should take 5 deep breaths from his stomach, then 5 breaths from his chest.
• The child stands up straight, puts his hands on his belt. He should walk in place, while trying to raise his knees as high as possible. You should breathe calmly and without tension. The exercise time is 2–3 minutes.
• The child stands up straight, lowers his arms along his body. Inhales and squats, raising straight arms to chest level. Palms should be directed downwards. When rising, the child lowers his arms and exhales. The exercise should be repeated at least 15 times.
• The child sits on a chair, keeps his back straight, feet touch the floor, and arms down. He inhales, then raises his legs in a bent position to his chest, wraps his arms around them and arches his back. The head should be lowered to the knees. Exhales. Returns to its original position. This exercise is performed at least 6 times, without tension and without rushing.
There are special complexes of morning exercises, which are accompanied by breathing exercises.
Let us give an example of such a complex.
• The child stands up straight and looks ahead. He takes his arms straight back and inhales through his nose. Waits 1-2 seconds, lowers his hands and exhales. The exercise should be performed at least 4 times.
• The child stands up straight, crosses his straight, outstretched arms at chest level. He spreads his arms to the sides, taking a deep breath through his nose. Waits 1-2 seconds and returns his hands to the starting position. Exhales. The exercise is performed 4–5 times.
• The child stands up straight, legs apart. Raises his hands and laces his fingers together as if he were holding an axe. He inhales through his nose and, leaning forward, lowers his hands so that they pass between his legs. Then returns to the starting position and exhales. Repeat the exercise 5 times.
• The child stands up straight, arms along the body. He begins to walk around the room, breathing evenly through his nose.
• The child sits on a chair and breathes calmly and evenly for 2–3 minutes. In this case, you can breathe only through your nose or inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth.
After finishing the exercises, wipe your child with a damp towel and then rub with a dry one.
You can attract a child’s interest in breathing exercises with the help of toys. So, if a child feels constrained or is often distracted, you can invite him to take his favorite toy and do exercises together. For example, you can place a light soft toy on your child’s stomach and offer to ride it. Inhaling, the child will lift the toy up, exhaling - down.
Here are a number of other exercises that can be performed with the help of toys or using game elements.
The kettle is whistling
Place your child on a chair so that his feet touch the floor. Place one hand of the child on his stomach, the other on his chest. Inhaling, he sucks in his stomach and takes in a full chest of air. When exhaling, the chest lowers and the stomach sticks out. When exhaling, the child should pretend to be a teapot, making the sound “f-f-f”. The exercise is performed 3–4 times.
Crocodiles
The child sits straight on the chair, so that his feet touch the floor, heels and toes together. Place one of his hands on your stomach. The other hand lies freely along the body. Inhaling and exhaling through the nose, the child controls breathing with his hand.
An adult reads a poem:
The crocodiles sat down and touched their bellies. The tummy rises (inhale). The tummy lowers (exhale).
Watch
The child stands up straight, with his feet shoulder-width apart, and his arms at his side. When the adult starts saying “tick-tock”, the child begins to move his arms back and forth. Perform the exercise 10 times.
Inflatable ball
The child stands up straight, arms along the body. At the command “inflate the balloon,” he spreads his arms as wide as possible and takes a deep breath. At the command “the ball burst,” the child brings his hands together, clasping his palms, and exhales with the sound “f-f-f.” After the command “the balloon burst,” the child makes a clap and, with the sound “sh-sh-sh,” settles on the floor like a deflated balloon. In this case, the lips should be pulled out with the proboscis.
Repeat the exercise 2-3 times.
Playing the trumpet
The child sits on a chair, raises his hands to his lips and makes a straw with his hands. Takes a deep breath through the nose and exhales through the tube with the sound “p-f-f-f-f”. Each time the sound should be louder.
Repeat the exercise 5 times.
Karkusha
The child stands up straight, feet shoulder-width apart, arms down. As he inhales through his nose, he raises his arms like wings and then lowers them, exhaling with a “car-r-r” sound. The sound “r” should be stretched out.
Hen
The child stands up straight, legs apart 30 cm, arms down along the body. Inhaling, the child raises his arms like wings, then, exhaling, bends forward and lowers his arms down. As he exhales, he makes the sound “cluck-dah-dah.”
Repeat the exercise 5 times.
Bug
The child sits on a chair and crosses his arms over his chest. Taking a deep breath, he spreads his arms wide and raises his head. Exhaling, he crosses his arms and lowers his head. As he exhales, he says “zhu-u-u.”
Repeat the exercise 3-4 times.
Rooster
The child stands up straight, feet shoulder-width apart, arms down along the body. As he inhales, he raises his arms to the sides, like wings, and as he exhales, he lowers them sharply, loudly clapping his palms on his thighs and shouting “kook-ka-ka-ka.”
Dandelion
An adult holds a dandelion in front of a standing child. The child takes a deep breath through his mouth, leans towards the dandelion and blows forcefully on it through his mouth. Repeat the exercise until all the fluff is blown off the dandelion.
Train
The child is standing. On the count of three, he begins to walk, moving his arms back and forth and saying “chug-chug.” On the count of 5, he should stop and say “too-too-oo-oo-oo”, while exhaling. Repeat the exercise 5-6 times.
Let's stretch
The child stands up straight, legs together, arms along the body. On the count of “one,” the child raises his arms up, rises on his toes and takes a deep breath through his nose. On the count of “two,” he lowers his arms and stands completely on his feet, exhaling with the sound “oo-o-o-o-h.” Repeat the exercise 5 times.
Walking with Geese
The child walks slowly like a goose. As he inhales, he raises his arms to the sides, as he exhales, he lowers them and says “g-oo-oo.”
Ball game
The child stands straight, legs apart, arms extended forward at chest level, holding the ball in them. Inhaling, the child presses the ball to his chest, exhaling, throws the ball forward and says “uh.” Perform the exercise 5 times. Can be done with a group of children.
Ball inside
The child lies down on the floor and places both hands on his stomach. When he inhales, he inflates his stomach, as if a balloon is growing inside him. After waiting 5 seconds, the child begins to exhale with the sound “sh-sh-sh”. The ball deflated. After waiting another 5 seconds, repeat the exercise.
Pump
The child lies on the floor, legs together, arms along the body. Inhaling, he raises his arms above his head. Holds your breath for 2-3 seconds and exhales, lowering your hands down and saying “Vni-i-i-z.” Repeat the exercise 5 times.
Bows
The child sits on the floor with his legs crossed. You can also sit on your knees. The back should be straight. Inhaling, the child raises his arms up. As you exhale, lower your arms down and bend forward. Then it returns to its original position. Repeat the exercise 5 times.
Scales
The child sits on the floor with his legs crossed. You can also sit on your knees. The back is straight. The arms are raised to chest level and straightened. When inhaling, he raises his left hand up and lowers his right hand down. When exhaling, it's the other way around.
After doing the exercise 5 times, you can replace the movement of your arms with the movement of only your hands.
Hamster game
The child stands upright. On the count of “one,” he takes a breath, puffs out his cheeks and takes 10–15 steps. Then he slaps his cheeks and exhales. To restore breathing, the child must walk several steps, breathing through his nose.
Fishing
The child is told that a beautiful fish lives on the seabed. Only the most experienced diver can catch it. To do this, you need to stand up, take two calm breaths and two exhalations. On the third inhalation, hold your breath, pinch your nose and squat down. You need to sit until you want to exhale. An adult watching the child can count out loud, noting how long the child can go without breathing.
Let's blow away the dust particles
The child stands up straight, feet shoulder-width apart, arms down along the body. When inhaling, he turns his head to the right, when exhaling, he blows on his shoulder and returns to the starting position. Then he inhales and turns his head to the left. He exhales onto his shoulder and turns his head straight. Inhales and tilts his head forward. He blows on his stomach, then inhales and raises his head up. He folds his lips into a tube and blows upward. Returns to its original position. During the exercise you can say:
Let's blow off the dust from one shoulder, And then from the other, The dust has been caused, Sometimes it's impossible to cope. Let's blow on our stomachs, And put our mouths into a tube, And now - on the clouds And we'll stop for now.
We take turns breathing
The child sits on a chair and closes his right nostril. Takes a deep breath and exhales. Releases the right nostril and closes the left. Takes a deep breath and exhales. Repeat the exercise 5-6 times.
Merry wings
The child sits on a chair. Hands down. Takes a quick deep breath and raises his palms to his armpits. Freezes for 2-3 seconds and lowers his hands, exhaling slowly.
Many exercises can be supplemented with other tasks, such as moving your eyes clockwise or wiggling your fingers. But this is done after the exercise has been sufficiently mastered. If you manage to get out into nature, you can work out with your child in the fresh air. You will need a mat to place on the grass. Here are a number of exercises aimed not only at developing the child’s respiratory system, but also at helping to stretch the muscles.
• The child kneels, presses his buttocks to his heels and raises his arms up. On the count of “one,” he leans forward and touches the mat with his forehead and palm. He stretches his arms forward and inhales through his nose. The buttocks should be close to the heels. The child should stretch his back, then exhale and return to the starting position. Repeat 4 times.
• The child lies on his back, legs together, arms extended along the body, head straight. On the count of “one,” he extends his left arm and right leg diagonally and inhales through his nose. The child should stretch well and return to the starting position as you exhale. Then repeat the exercise, using your right arm and left leg. Repeat the exercise 4 times.
• The child stands on all fours, head raised, looking forward. On the count of “one,” he raises his right leg and takes it back as high as possible, inhales through his nose. He stretches for a few seconds and, as he exhales, lowers his leg to its original position. Then he lifts his left leg and takes it back, inhales. He stretches and exhales, lowers his leg. Repeat the exercise 4 times. You can complicate the task: in between raising your legs, arch your back up (inhale) - down (exhale).
• The child stands up straight, arms down along the body, legs together, toes apart. On the count of “one,” the child stands on his toes, takes a step on “two,” raises both arms up and inhales through his nose. On the count of “three” he takes a second step, lowers his hands, and on “four” he exhales. When raising his hands, the child should reach up, as if he wants to grow. After doing four sets, rest for 5-10 seconds and repeat.
• The child stands up straight, legs shoulder-width apart, feet parallel to each other, arms down along the body. On the count of “one,” he raises his right hand up, moves his left hand to the side and takes a noisy breath through his nose. On the count of “two,” linger in this position for 1–2 seconds and, as you exhale, return to the starting position. As you exhale, pronounce the sound “r-r-r”. Then he repeats the exercise, changing hands. You need to do 4 approaches.
• The child stands up straight, legs together, feet parallel to each other, arms down along the body. The child imitates skiing on the spot, alternately inhaling and exhaling. At the same time, the hands move in time with the steps. The exercise lasts 1–2 minutes, followed by a break.
• The child stands up straight, legs shoulder-width apart, feet parallel to each other, holding a gymnastic stick in his hands. The child lifts the stick up and moves it behind his head. Inhales and as you exhale tilt your body to the right. Returns to straight position. Inhales, and as you exhale, tilt your body to the left. Hands are always behind your head. Repeat bending in each direction 4 times.
• The child stands up straight, legs together, feet parallel to each other, arms down along the body. At the command “start walking,” the child walks slowly. For the first step, he raises his arms to the sides and inhales through his nose. On the second step, he lowers his hands and exhales with the sound “g-u-u-u”. Perform the exercise for 1–2 minutes.
• The child sits on his knees, buttocks pressed to the heels, back straight, arms down along the body. He raises both arms to the sides and takes a noisy breath through his nose. He lowers his hands and exhales through his mouth. Repeat the exercise 4 times.
• The child sits on his buttocks with his legs straightened, his back straight, his hands on his belt. Raises both hands to chest level with palms down, bends forward and tries to clasp the backs of the feet with his palms. Inhales through the nose. Returns to the starting position and exhales. Repeat the exercise 4 times.
• The child sits on his knees, buttocks pressed to the heels, back straight, arms down along the body. In three movements, he raises his arms to the sides, up, and crosses them above his head, depicting a signalman with flags. On the last movement, inhales through the nose. He lowers his hands and exhales. Repeat 4 times.
• The child lies on his back, legs together, arms along the body. The child inhales through his mouth, raises both legs to his chest, bending them at the knees. Lowers his legs and exhales. Repeat the exercise 8 times.
• The child lies on his stomach, arms lie along the body, head straight. He puts his hands on his belt, raises his chest, shoulders and head and stretches forward. Inhales through the nose. Returns to the starting position and exhales. The exercise should be repeated 6 times.
• The child sits on his knees, buttocks pressed to the heels, back straight, arms down along the body. As he exhales, he lowers his head and shoulders down, slightly rounding his upper back. Inhales and straightens his back, stretching his head up. Repeat the exercise 8 times.
• The child sits on his knees, buttocks pressed to the heels, back straight, arms down along the body. Raises his right hand and pinches his right nostril with his index finger. Inhales through the left nostril, exhales through the mouth. Changes hands and inhales through the right nostril and exhales through the mouth.
Repeat the exercise 4 times, take a break for 5 seconds and repeat again.
• The child stands straight, arms down along the body, legs together. The child spreads his arms to the sides to shoulder level, raises his right leg, bending it at the knee, and inhales through his nose. Stays in this position for 1-3 seconds and returns to the starting position as you exhale. Then repeats the exercise, lifting the other leg.
• The child stands straight, legs shoulder-width apart, feet parallel to each other, arms down along the body. The child moves his arms behind his back and clasps his hands together, tilts his body forward and begins to move as if on skates, bending alternately his right and left leg. He inhales one step and exhales two steps. When exhaling, he makes the sound “k-r-r”.
• The child stands straight, legs shoulder-width apart, feet parallel to each other, arms down along the body. The child takes a breath, then bends down, clasping his chest with his arms. Exhales with the sound “p-f-f”, and then continues with the sound “f-r-r”. Returns to the starting position and repeats the exercise another 4-5 times.
The benefits of breathing exercises for preschool children
For many years, pediatricians in children's clinics have been recommending exercises to develop the respiratory system of preschoolers. In practice, it has been proven that these exercises work great with regular training.
Breathing exercises develop the lungs, optimize their volume, replenish oxygen content or regulate its balance with carbon dioxide. That is why they are used for the prevention and treatment of the respiratory system, allergies, and during rehabilitation after illness.
There are breathing complexes that help with problems with the musculoskeletal system, diseases of the excretory system and gastrointestinal tract.
Working on the breathing of preschoolers has a huge range of beneficial effects on the body.
- Aligns posture
- Improves brain function by increasing the flow of oxygenated blood
- Helps with headaches
- Stimulates the gastrointestinal tract
- Improves heart function
- Stabilizes the nervous system
- Gives vigor
- Improves concentration
Breathing practices also contribute to better absorption of medicines, both traditional and alternative medicine.
In their work, speech therapists use breathing exercises to develop a child’s speech, including to help cope with stuttering.
Tips for doing breathing exercises
- Time limit up to 5 minutes. Breathing exercises have a fairly large load on the body of children. If you overdo it, you may feel dizzy and have a headache.
- Regularity. Breathing games are recommended every day.
- The room in which the child studies must be ventilated.
- Pay attention to how the child performs the exercise: the shoulders should not rise during inhalation, and the cheeks should not puff out during exhalation. The exhalation should be calm, smooth, unhurried.
- If the child is unable to exhale through his mouth, gently pinch his nose.
- Breathing exercises should be varied to interest the baby. Don't repeat the same task over and over again.
- Consider the child's age.
- Safety of games and exercises. If this is a “Blow out the Candle” game, then keep track of the safe distance. Do not be distracted by extraneous factors, concentrate only on the child.
Working on breathing: exercises for children
In any sport, breathing exercises are basic.
Not a single physical education lesson in a preschool institution is complete without breathing exercises. After all, regular exercise improves immunity and reduces the frequency of colds.
Below you will find exercises for preschoolers that will help develop the speech apparatus and full deep breathing. All exercises are built in the form of a game, so kids usually do them with pleasure. You can easily do them at home yourself.
Results
Speech breathing is the force that sets in motion the mechanism of sound formation that makes speech sound.
Correct speech breathing allows you to pronounce sounds correctly, speak clearly and expressively fluently. You can try breathing exercises starting from the age of one year. Such games have a positive effect not only on speech development, but also, in general, on the child’s health. Breathing exercises help saturate the body with oxygen, stimulate the functioning of the heart, brain, and nervous system.
Balloon exercise
This exercise will help when the child is crying or agitated.
Invite your child to imagine that he is holding an uninflated balloon in his hand. Ask him what color the ball is. Say that you also have a ball and tell me what color it is. Then offer to inflate your balloons together.
While inflating the balloon, the child will have to take deep breaths and exhales. Inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth, pursing your lips like a tube, as if you were inflating a real balloon.
This type of breathing calms the nervous system and helps cope with anxious thoughts.
While inflating the balloon, you can recite the following rhyme:
My balloon one, two, three. Light as a mosquito, look. I inhale through my nose, I don’t rush, I watch my breathing.
For older children, a more complex version of this exercise is suitable.
Performed sitting or standing. As you inhale, the baby spreads his arms wide apart, imagining as if a balloon is inflating inside him, and then slowly brings them together, bringing his palms together in front of his chest and blowing out air, saying: “FFFFFF.” Then say: “The ball has burst, the air is coming out of the ball,” and ask the child to clap his hands and, while exhaling, making his lips a proboscis, say: “SHSHSHSHH.”
Exercises to train the respiratory system for children from 5 to 7 years old
"Flower and Dandelion"
While standing, the child inhales through his nose, imagining that he is smelling a fragrant flower, then exhales air through his mouth onto the dandelion.
"Cheerful Hamster"
For this exercise, the child imagines himself as a hamster, filling his cheeks with air. Then, with a light clap on the cheeks, he releases air and sniffs his nose several times, looking for new food.
"The Dragon"
The child breathes through each nostril in turn, imagining himself as a fire-breathing dragon, while pinching each nostril with his finger.
Exercise "hippopotamus"
This exercise develops diaphragmatic breathing and can be performed in different variations.
- The child lies on his back, hands on his stomach, on the diaphragm, and takes deep breaths and exhales. At this time you say:
“The hippos were lying down, the hippos were breathing. Then the tummy rises (as you inhale),
Then the tummy drops (as you exhale)"
- The same exercise, but in a sitting position. The child holds his hands on the diaphragm and takes deep breaths in and out through his nose, and you say: “The hippos sat down and touched their bellies. Either the tummy rose (as you inhaled), or the tummy fell (as you exhaled).
The difference between speech breathing and physiological breathing
There are two types of breathing:
- physiological (inhalation and exhalation: approximately the same time). The main task of such breathing is to carry out gas exchange.
- speech (short inhalation - pause - long sound exhalation). The main task here is sound production, ensuring intonation expressiveness, fluency of speech, and observing pauses between sentences.
All sounds are formed on exhalation, so the formation of speech breathing is one of the important factors in the development of speech.
When pronouncing the vast majority of sounds of the Russian language, a strong, directed air stream is required. The process of exhalation is of enormous importance, because it is at this moment that speech begins to sound: sounds, syllables, words, sentences.
Breathing exercises for children: additional recommendations
- For a healing effect, all exercises must be repeated at least 4-5 times, but no more than 10 minutes, as they can tire the baby and cause dizziness.
- You can exercise at any time, but no later than one hour before bedtime.
- While performing the exercises, it is necessary to pronounce all sounds clearly and loudly, and pronounce hissing sounds as you exhale.
- Offer breathing practices as a game.
- Look for everyday entertainment that will allow your child to take deep breaths and exhales: soap bubbles, blowing a feather from the palm of your hand or a piece of paper from the table, launching a boat in the bathroom and controlling it with your breath, blowing out a candle, inflating a ball.
Speech breathing in preschoolers - what are its features?
The child does not immediately have correct speech breathing; it is formed as he develops.
- The respiratory apparatus is poorly developed. Speech can be quiet, often children do not finish words or phrases.
- Irrational distribution of air during exhalation (this can be noticed when reciting poems, the child seems to “swallow” air after a couple of words. An accelerated rate of speech may also be observed, the child wants to pronounce the phrase as quickly as possible while there is air)
- Uneven exhalation. Speech sounds either quiet or loud.
- Weak exhalation and incorrectly directed air flow leads to distortion of sounds.
- Narrow nasal passages. Maintain respiratory hygiene.
Children at 2 years old pronounce about 2-3 words while exhaling, at 3-4 years old approximately 3-5 words, at 4-5 years old 4-6 words, at older preschool age from 5 to 7 words.
During diagnosis, the speech therapist must pay attention to the speech breathing of the subject. This is one of the fundamental factors of correctional work.
