Yoga helps Families stay Fit
By: Tina Shively
Updated: February 24, 2011
Yoga can be a relaxing form of exercise.
It can help calm you down after a hard day at work, or it can be a fun activity you can share with your whole family.
Roger Ward and his daughter Sarah spend their Thursday nights sharing a fun and unique experience, family yoga.
Roger said, "Her attention span doesn't always fit for team sports so I'm hoping that maybe doing something like this will be helpful for her."
This class at the Westside YMCA allows Roger and Sarah to learn at their own pace, from a professional, teacher Tess McFarland-Porter.
She said "In group exercise we have a saying that 'it's all good' if you're moving and your feeling good we call that a workout and its all good. But there's something sweet and precious about being able to celebrate that joyful movement and being active with your family."
McFarland-Porter says the size of her class is different every week, sometimes its packed and other nights, just 1 or 2 families show up.
She teaches parents and kids poses they can do to help them concentrate, blow off steam, and calm down.
She added "In yoga in particular there's a relaxation component which in our busy family lives being able to relax is a gift. So I think ending, as we turn down the lights and take a moment just to focus on our breath and focus on the peace we're feeling, is a nice way to close out a day."
Roger added "As she's getting more comfortable with it she's starting to enjoy it more."
Taking it day by day is the Ward family's plan, on the road to being a more fit family.
