Objective: While studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of yoga for school-aged children and adults,\nthere is limited research on the influence of yoga on preschoolers� motor abilities. The purpose of this study was\nto investigate how young children respond to Hatha yoga training by comparing preschoolers� strength, flexibility,\ncoordination and balance before and after a 6-week yoga program.\nMethod: A cross-over design was used to compare performance of two groups of preschool children aged\n3-5 before and after a 6-week developmentally appropriate yoga training program. The short form of the Bruininks-\nOseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, Second Edition (BOT-2) and long jump were used to quantify strength, balance\nand bilateral coordination. Knee extension strength was measured with hand-held dynamometry and functional\nflexibility of low back and hamstrings was quantified by the Sit and Reach Test (SRT).\nResults: When compared to a control group, the group participating in yoga demonstrated a statistically\nsignificant increase in static balance and functional lower extremity strength with a strong effect size, (d) =1.52,\n(d) = 0.82 respectively. When comparing individual�s performance before and after participating in the yoga\nprogram, individuals showed statistically significant improvements in at least one measure of strength, flexibility and\ncoordination indicating moderate effects of the yoga training.\nConclusion: The gross motor development of pre-school children may be enhanced by participation in a 6 week\nlong developmentally appropriate group yoga program.
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