Elementary students trade recess time for yoga

ELMIRA, N.Y. (WENY) — At Beecher Elementary, kids are trading in recess for relaxation.

“I wanted to start something here at the school,” said Beecher Elementary’s technology teaching assistant, Alicia Rosemark. “I noticed when I talked to a lot of the kids during computer classes that there wasn’t a lot of additional activities fitness-wise here and I’m very into health and fitness.”

Twice a week, kids can take part in twenty-minute yoga sessions in place of their recess time.

“With the colder temperatures, a lot of the students have inside recess,” said Rosemark. “So I actually have just a few twenty minute blocks during the week that I came up with this idea to offer kids yoga through ‘YOGA ed.’ in my computer lab.”

The sessions take place on Mondays and Wednesdays are open to any student in the school.

Rosemark believes it’s a great way for kids to relax their mind and reset for the day.

“It’s something new to them,” said Rosemark. “It’s something that when I’ve asked them, they’ve never ever had it offered to them. So I love that I can introduce this to them and show them that it’s a physical and mental benefit. I love, obviously, the kids running around outside, but I know with the bitter cold temperatures, this is just as beneficial to them mentally and physically.”

To the kids, it’s a new way to have fun during the day.

“It’s too cold outside and recess, sometimes you’ll never get that much time, and yoga is better than outside,” said fourth grade student, Zakiyri Cartwright.

Rosemark, who uses online videos to teach the class, also says her lessons lets kids know they don’t have to pay for expensive classes to be fit.

“I’m just pulling it up from the internet,” said Rosemark. “That it’s always a possibility. Technology which I teach, is definitely you can always find anything on the internet and I think it’s a great way to show them that anything is possible and you can pull anything up health and fitness-wise.”