Rhythmic gymnastics took a while to gain traction as a respected sport. That said, the seeds were planted hundreds of years ago. The basis of the idea back then is similar to what it is today, which was that someone should be able to express themselves through movement, and that movement should be recognized and appreciated as sport. This idea was first thought of, or at least first publicized, in the late 1700s by I.G. Noverre. He didn’t have an opportunity to take it to the level he would have liked, but did create enough momentum for Francois Delsarte and R. Bode to gain even more traction in the mid 1800s. In 1837, Catherine Beecher also founded the Western Female Institute in Ohio. Her entire concept and slogan was ‘grace without...

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...

Gymnastic routines are something that must be trained for in a very dedicated manner. You must repeat the same routine over and over again so you can get an excellent feel for the routine. You have to remember that if you’re competing you’re only going to get one chance to shine. What is unfortunate is that you could train for weeks, months, or even years and that thirty to ninety second moment in time can still go horribly wrong. You just have to think to yourself that all you can do is prepare yourself to the best of your ability. That will greatly increase your chances for success. When you think of the word ‘routine’ in gymnastics, you should think of skills, movement and dance. These three components often make up a routine on an...

As with any sport, taking lessons can give you a very good head start. Let’s put it this way, if you have a son that is five years old and he practices for three years before entering a competition, do you think he will have an advantage against the kids who only trained for six months? Even of the other kids are more athletic, having trained for that long won’t only have allowed him to master various techniques, but his confidence will also be sky high. Of course, if it’s his first tournament, he might have the butterflies, but this is something that he must go through at some point in time anyway. It’s better to get it over with while he is as young as possible. Taking lessons in gymnastics is also more important than most other sports....

Gymnastics, like so many other sports, got its roots from ancient Greece. Originally, Greece had gymnasiums all over the city. These are not the types of gymnasiums you would think of today, but rather courtyards. They were for jumping, running, wrestling, and any other form of physical activity people could think of. Eventually, all this working out and sport-like combat led to military training. At that time, what was the beginning of gymnastics was put on a lengthy hiatus. In the late 1700s, Friedrich GutsMuths and Friedrich Ludwig Jahn created exercise for young men and boys. They weren’t just new exercises, but they were exercises that utilized apparatuses. This is the time when gymnastics really started to build some momentum. In 1881, The...

Gymnastic leotards have been very controversial for many years. The leotards in gymnastics are designed to help the gymnasts be more aerodynamic, move more freely, and they prevent the gymnasts from getting clothing caught up in gymnastic equipment. The light weight and elasticity of each leotard makes mobility much easier for gymnasts. This can help them greatly during bars, floor exercises, vault, and balance beam. During these events the gymnast can flip, turn, twist, and shape their bodies in many different ways. The versatility of the leotard has helped many gymnasts and should continue to be a great choice of apparel. There are many different types of leotards that are used in gymnastics. They are usually composed of a Lycra, nylon, cotton,...

Rhythmic gymnastics is a style of gymnastics that combines theater, ballet, apparatus manipulation, and gymnastics. Competitors may compete alone or in a group up to usually about 5 people. The gymnasts combine dancing and acrobatics with the unique props such as balls, hoops, ribbons, ropes, and clubs to make an entertaining show. At competitions, rhythmic gymnasts are judged on flexibility, pirouettes, leaps, balances, artistic value, and the use of their props. Although rhythmic gymnastics is primarily performed by women, there are many countries that have begun to show a particularly high male interest in the sport. There is a 20 point scoring system in the rhythmic gymnastics competitions. Gymnasts are judged on execution of their gymnastic...

If you’ve ever played a sport then you know that during warm-ups you will be doing some stretching. It’s often a boring part of the practice, but one that you must do, or at least act as though you are doing. While stretching can be important in other sports in order to help reduce the chances of getting injured, it’s absolutely essential in gymnastics. Stretching is boring prior to practicing or playing other sports because you’re only doing it because you have to. And since you’re not really focusing on it, all it’s really doing is loosening up your muscles a little. It’s not actually making your more flexible. The only sport aside from gymnastics that works on flexibility so much is the martial arts. When you focus on flexibility...

Rhythmic gymnastics is unique in its formality. Gymnastics is generally thought of by doing tricks and stunts on large pieces of gymnastics equipment. Most people think of the Olympics and gold medalists. But in all reality, there is another, more artistic, side to gymnastics. This side is called rhythmic gymnastics. Most people that decide to do rhythmic gymnastics were introduced to it at a young age; although, this is not always necessarily the case. Some people that participate in rhythmic gymnastics were introduced to the sport through dance or gymnastics. Although it is not as popular as general gymnastics, it is increasingly gaining popularity in many culturally different countries all around the world. It is believed to have originated in...

If you’re thinking of entering a gymnastics competition, you should first know what you will be competing at. In gymnastics competition, women usually compete in vault, uneven bars, balance beam, and floor. Men usually compete in floor exercise, pommel horse, still rings, vault, parallel bars, and high bar. If you have your sights set on the big prize, then here is a short list of some of the biggest and most prestigious tournaments in the world: The World Championships (held in London, England in 2009), The Arthur Gander Memorial (held in Mores, Switzerland in 2009), the NCAA Men’s Championships (to be held at West Point, New York in 2010), the NCAA Women’s Championships (to be held in Gainesville, Florida in 2010), the European Championships...