One of my favorite sports to watch during the Olympics, has always been gymnastics. It is such an elegant sport combining strength, balance and flexibilty. This year was no exception and was certainly made more exciting with the US Women’s gymnastics team taking gold. Having a daughter enrolled in an elite competitive gymnastics program for years, I believe I have an even deeper appreciation for the sport. Although the girls wear bling leos and glitter in their hair, these athletes’ lives are far from glamorous! During “our” gymnastics years, my daughter trained 30 plus hours per week and I did something I swore I would NEVER do – I home schooled my daughter! Gymnastics is an individual sport, but incorporates team elements. Our team was tight: during the school year we spent every weekend out of town together, we ate together, we slept together, we laughed and cheered together and yes, we CRIED together.
Given the rigors of this sport, it takes a special athlete to pursue competitive gymnastics at the elite level. Nevertheless, all children can benefit from participation prior to more organized and/or scholastic athletic endeavors. Today I have solicited the the help of Dan Duffy, LAT, ATC, CSCS, an expert in the field of training young athletes to enhance their athletic performance. Dan will help me explain why you should consider tumbling and recreational gymnastics as an after school activity for your aspiring young athletes.
• Gymnastics is fun for kids and can foster an environment that encourages and teaches physical fitness as a lifestyle. Physical activity is a necessary component of a healthy lifestyle for both children and adults. According the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), kids (ages 6-17) need 60 minutes of play daily with moderate to vigorous activity. Exercise, such a gymnastics, helps with controlling weight, building lean muscle, reducing body fat, promoting strong bones, and developing muscle and joints. Because gymnastics is fun, it’s an easy sell. What kid doesn’t like jumping, flipping and tumbling? Helping children develop a love for sports and exercise at an early age will improve their chances for a healthy future.
• Gymnastics is a way to train spatial awareness. What is spatial awareness? It is the awareness of objects in the environment in relation to each other and the awareness of your own body in relation to those objects. Gymnastics is the quintessential sport of precise body movement through space. A child who improves his or her spatial awareness, can begin to apply it to all sports or activities outside of gymnastics.
• Gymnastics develops both the physical and mental aspects of an athlete. In other words, the sport develops gritty athletes- physically tough athletes who learn coping skills and resilience at a young age. Self-confidence and self-esteem are quickly built as athletes realize they are solely responsible for their success or failure. Gymnasts are responsible for their every move. If something goes wrong, gymnasts must be able to think for themselves and resolve their own conflict. Falling off the beam or bars, malfunctioning music during a floor exercise routine all necessitate the athlete to quickly problem solve alone in order to gracefully complete competition.
• Gymnastics improves balance ability. Balance is complex and includes proprioception (joint sensibility) and kinesthetics (awareness to your body as a whole to a changing environment). Gymnastics fosters the development of both of these entities. For example, Gabby Douglas doing an aerial on the balance beam must be aware of her body position in relation to the beam (kinesthetics) yet prepare her lower extremities to land the trick solidly (proprioception) on the four inch wide apparatus without a bobble.
Gymnastics can offer a comprehensive lifestyle exercise program incorporating strength, flexibility, speed, balance, coordination, power, proprioception and discipline. These attributes are the cornerstone to successful individual and team sport participation. Encourage your kids to be active everyday and allow their interests to evolve. You never know, you too may one day have to say, “I did something I swore I’d never do.”
How do you encourage your children to get physical activity?
DISCLOSURE: Dan Duffy is an owner of Cape Fear Rehabilitation, LLC and is on the staff at Cape Fear Sports Enhancement.
Diane Boyd is a nutrition consultant to Cape Fear Sports Enhancement providing services including nutrition counseling, nutrition education and communication. We were not compensated for our time writing this blog post. The opinions are our own.
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