Toddlers crawl on the floor, play, and roll around like swirling turtles.

Crawling, learning to roll, and spending time engaging in floor play is vital for a toddler’s physical development.

As adults, we don’t get down on the floor all that much. Consequently, we lose core strength and flexibility and experience stiffness and aching joints.

Are you a perpetual sofa sitter? When was the last time you sat on the floor to eat lunch or to hang out and simply relax?

Did you know that getting down on the ground can add years to your life? According to a 2012 research study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, adults who were unable to raise themselves off the floor without support were 6.5 times more likely to pass away within six years.

Performing a gentle yoga routine is one way to get up and down from the floor on a consistent basis. If you prefer a less traditional and more playful yoga routine, enroll in a stress-busting Goat Yoga session.

To gain maximum benefit, regardless of the type of yoga you decide to practice, approach your routine by asking yourself: “What would a toddler do?”

A toddler would move naturally without forcing movements. A toddler would joyfully sit or crawl on the floor without thinking about work, future doctor’s appointments, or cooking dinner. A toddler would blissfully play with toys that enhance floor play.

Don’t rush. Luxuriate. Pretend that you are living in a world without clocks, work schedules, or deadlines. Embrace “toys” like yoga bolsters, yoga balls, or foam rollers, to transform your yoga floor routine into a positively yummy and addictive ritual.

When a yoga session is pleasurable and playful instead of rushed and dutiful, you’ll want to get up and down from the floor more often.

How do I know this? My yoga journey began at 13 years old, after discovering a Hatha yoga book written by Richard Hittleman. I’m also partial to power yoga, which is based upon the Ashtanga method.

I practice yoga mainly at home, but when I first started out, I enrolled in classes at a professional yoga studio and practiced yoga while vacationing at the New Age Health Spa in Neversink, New York. Yoga and my aversion to sitting on sofas has helped me retain my ability to get up and down from the floor with ease.