Gymnastic Exercises

One of the greatest things about gymnastics is that there are so many exercises. It would be difficult to come up with another sport that offers so many different exercises, works so many different parts of the body and muscle groups, and trains you in an aerobic and anaerobic manner at the same time.

What this leads to, if the student is putting the time in, is an increase in strength, cardio respiratory endurance, muscle endurance, body image, coordination, balance, eye-hand coordination, and self esteem. If those aren’t enough benefactors for you, then you’re going to have a very difficult time finding a sport that makes you or your child happy.

If you do have a child that is training for, or participating in gymnastics, then it is highly recommended that they stick to self-resistance exercises for strength. If someone below the age of eighteen uses free weights, they are likely to suffer from stunted growth. You don’t want your child to grow up looking like the hunchback of Notre Dame.

On the other hand, an increase in strength can go along way in many areas. Some good self-resistance exercises that are safe for any age and can improve strength are push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, handstands, and dips. Just a side note, if you or your child has any type of shoulder injury, consult your doctor or pediatrician before doing any push-ups or dips. Shoulders are an area that must be treated with care. They are very delicate.

Some other health benefits of gymnastic exercises are overall physical fitness, coordination, conditioning, an increase in bone density, decreasing the chance of osteoporosis, and improvement in academics. I added to the list just in case you weren’t certain of how beneficial training for gymnastics can actually be. If you’re looking for a program for your child, many community centers hold them. Sometimes you can even choose between recreational and competitive. If you’d prefer your child got some exposure first, consider enrolling him or her in a tumbling class.

There are many popular exercises for gymnastics. One of them is the crucifix. This is when you hang on the rings while supporting yourself with both arms as they are in a horizontal position. Another one is a dip. This is when you use any form of parallel bars, bench or chair to lower and raise your body by bending your arms.

A double leg circle is when you’re on the pommel horse and you swing your legs together in a circle while alternating your hands on the pommel horse. A grand circle is when you swing around the horizontal bar with your body fully extended. A straddle is when your legs are extended to each side horizontally, either on the floor or on the parallel bars. Scissors are when you move your legs like the blades of a scissor while you’re on the pommel horse.

A handstand is when you support yourself with your hands while you’re upside down. A hang is when you support your weight with your arms while hanging from an apparatus. A kip is when you move your legs over your upper body and more toward an erect position; arch your back and swing your legs out and down while forcing your chest upright. A long fly is when you take a long leap from a vaulting horse.

The above list is just a small sampling of what types of exercise you can do to train for gymnastics. The best part is that even if you’re not a great gymnast, these exercises can still be extremely beneficial to you and your overall health. While there are negatives to gymnastics just like there are in any thing else (in gymnastics it’s potential for injury), the positives so greatly outweigh the negatives that it would be ludicrous to try anything else.