Breathing Exercises for Children.

Buteyko Breathing Exercises Helps Maintain Our Children’s Health.

We want the best for our children. One of the best things we can do to help maintain our children’s health is to make sure they breathe through their noses both day and by night.

It sounds so simple, but if your child suffers from any of the following, nasal breathing can be very difficult.

Allergic Rhinitis
Persistant Runny nose/blocked nose
Allergies to grass, pollen, trees.
Irritating cough,
Asthma
Snoring
Sleep apnoea

Other symptoms your child might be presented with:

Daytime tiredness
Poor concentration
Hyperactive behaviour
Bed wetting
Wheezing or palpitations on exertion
Poor dentition and overcrowding of teeth.
Anxiety
Poor sports performance

It may not seem obvious to you that how your child breathes is causing health problems. Chronic over-breathing is very subtle and often can go undetected. We know when we eat too much it because causes health problems, but what is less known is when we breathe more than the body requires health problems can occur.

How to recognise habitual over breathing.

Frequent sniffing and or sighing
Movement of shoulders while breathing
Lots of visible movement
Upper chest movement
Effortful breathing
Audible breathing during rest
Mouth breathing
Taking large breaths prior to talking
Heavy breathing at night
Holding of breath

What is involved in helping my child change their breathing habits.

The programme for children can be done over four sessions. Each session will be about an hour and a half. This can be done in a group or on a one to one basis. During the programme the children and parents will be taught the Principles of the Buteyko Breathing programme, which include:

Recognising poor breathing habits
Education on how one should breathe
The importance of nasal breathing by day and by night,
Reducing and eradicating symptoms with gentle breathing exercises.
Exercising without distress
Diet and how it impacts on breathing

These exercises are easily incorporated into ones daily routine. They are effective and produce noticeable results quickly.

Mouth breathing and Cranio-facial development.

Toddlers and young children generally have well defined, broad, and good looking faces. However a different story emerges with our teenagers, particularly if he or she suffers from any of the conditions listed above. What is happening is that the face and teeth development change as their breathing habits change.

It is well documented that 60% of the growth of the face takes place during the first four years of life and 90% takes place by the age of 12. Development of the lower jaw continues until around 18 years.
For correct cranio-facial development to take place, early intervention with nasal breathing and tongue posture is essential.

The Buteyko Breathing Programme is now taught on a one to one basis with a parent or guardian present. This gives parents more flexibility when trying to organise appointments between work and activities.