Impressive, right? This preschooler is making us “Ooh!” and “Aah!” at all the cuteness. Not only that, but why is her yogawear so chic? We might be a little jealous. All jokes aside, we are truly impressed by these mother-daughter yoga pictures surfacing on Instagram. There are plenty of acroyoga couple pictures to go around, but there’s something about a cute tot that truly inspires us. Yoga instructor Laura Kasperzak (36) might be the yoga expert here – with about 17 years of experience – but perhaps it is her parenting that becomes the true star in this collection of photos.
Apart from the awe-inspiring qualities of the photographs themselves, this mom-daughter duo has inspired us to touch on an important topic: When and how do we teach our kids to start becoming active?
Oftentimes, those of us who were active as young children – either by biking, playing, swinging, etc. – forget about those “good old days”. As we get older, we start thinking, “Oh, crap, now I have to go to the gym… but I have never worked out before in my life!” Just because you were not involved in disciplined workouts and activities does not mean you never got your heart rate up! That being said, there are two opposite ends of the spectrum as well. There are those who started with disciplined activities (i.e. gymnastic, ballet, baseball, etc.) and those who really were never active when they were young and preferred video games to biking. We hate to say it, but the latter is probably not best.
There’s nothing wrong with not being the competitive type, and we definitely do not advocate for forcing your child to be a part of a sport or activity they are not interested in. That being said, there are plenty of different ways to get your kid moving, and (as we can see here) the number one way is to lead by example. While it is not always your fault if your kid prefers the computer to baseball – especially in this age of technology – by showing that you, too, care about your fitness levels and a variety of hobbies, your children are more likely to play along.
Notice how “playing a game of catch with Dad” is always such a nostalgic moment and fond memory for men? That is because a positive emotion has been attached to this experience. In turn, many males often form positive thoughts on sports, activity, and healthy competition. Naturally, this is a general correlation, but these pictures here prove just that. On how Kasperzak got her daughter moving, the yoga instructor says, “It doesn’t take much. Shes the ham of my two children, and loves to be photographed…” Even if it’s only because little Kasperzak likes to be photographed that she practices the Yoga-based movements, it still instills in her the desire to practice. That’s what’s important!
As to what age it is “appropriate” to begin instilling the importance of exercise? We think as early as possible! While we are not saying that you should buy them gym memberships and guide them to the squat rack (which they can do but only under professional supervision), having them take long walks with you, play soccer, go swimming, or join their school’s sports team is highly advised. Such an important lesson will be instilled in them for their whole lives… just like we think it will for this little Yogini!
When did you learn the value of exercise?
For more health & fitness ideas, find our full collection of articles here.
All images via Instagram
