We've all heard the sobering statistics. Childhood obesity is rising to epidemic proportions not only in the United States, but in other parts of the world too. Larger portion sizes, more processed junk food and more time in front of the television or computer is leading to fat, unhealthy kids.

One of the best ways to help kids change their habits is by modeling the behavior you want them to adopt, and inviting them to participate in activities with you.  Monkey see, monkey do.  It's hard to tell your kids to get fit, if your actions show that you do not take your health seriously, yourself.

While many kids may not want to go to the gym, getting them interested in yoga may be the perfect way to share your workout time together in a way that benefits every member of the family.  time for the whole family to connect and lead a healthier life. The best yoga DVD for kids really depends on a  variety of factors, including the age and fitness level of your children.  To see if you can get your kids interested in the exercise-tape routine at home, consider renting some yoga DVD's for free from your local library (or pay for them at a video rental store like netflix or blockbuster).  That way, you can see what styles are out there and whether the instructor is engaging or cheesy.

Once you go through a few yoga DVDs, the best one will call out to you. It will be one where the kids are having so much fun that they will not even realize that they are exercising. If zucchini muffins are one way you get your children to have their veggies without even knowing it; a fun, DVD for yoga may be the answer for you.

One Popular Choice in Children's Yoga DVD's

"Yoga to Go for Kids" is a very popular title, widely considered to be one of the best yoga DVDs for kids or the whole family.  It includes different poses in an easy to understand manner and - BONUS - the kids (and you) will actually be able to attain the recommended poses and positions. Many parents like how the yoga instructor doesn’t talk down to the children in baby language. As soon as they are past five years old, they do not like being talked to differently than adults.

Carve out some time on a weekend or a few times a week where you can pretend you are all playing a game. Do not call it exercise time, but rather make it a game. Something along the lines of Twister, the Wii, or other active games can entice the children to learn for themselves that it need not be boring to move your body. The best kids yoga DVD, whether it is Bikram Yoga, Hatha Yoga or any other kind,  will have appropriate music, lots of color and will include kids in the video footage so they can relate to others doing similar poses.

Special Yoga Equipment Can Make Yoga Time More Fun

Encourage the kids to stick with their yoga training by letting them choose their own color of yoga mat and props, if necessary. If you're not sure they'll stick with the exercise, consider buying yoga equipment once kids reach certain milestones - like 10 workout sessions completed - just like "leveling up" in a video game.  Once you have gotten the hang of a few of the poses, change the routine by letting your kids do their yoga workout in the back yard or at the beach or park. A change of setting can always elevate the mood and can breathe some life into a yoga routine that may be getting a bit stale.  Likewise, having a variety of kids yoga videos that you can rotate through will help keep things fresh. 

Just like getting good grades or achieving success in other areas, encourage your children to set and attain goals in their yoga practices.  Consider rewarding the children for accomplishing a goal with yoga. It could be trying it out twice a week for a whole month or reaching a level on the DVD. Of course, make the treat appropriate with the message you are sending across with the health and fitness. Rather than buying them ice cream as a reward, consider treating them to a fun experience.  Explore a new part of town, go hiking or swimming, or visit a children's museum.  After all, you don't want to simply replace all the calories you burned working out with the best kids yoga DVD you could get our hands on!

Remind Kids That Yoga Fitness Is For The Long Term

Although younger children may not understand, it's important to reinforce the idea that eating right and exercising is an important part of a healthy lifestyle.  Ideally the kids' yoga routine should be something that they do on a regular basis and plan to do for years to come.  Avoid positioning yoga as something to do "for the summer" or some other short period of time.  Help your children build discipline and healthy habits for a lifetime.  Yoga exercises can be performed well into your eighties and beyond.  Help your kids see the big picture for yoga fitness, without getting overwhelmed.