Gymnastics - A great first sport

March 10, 2019

Gymnastics coach assisting a young girl walk on the balance beam

Gymnastics is a globally loved sport. When it comes to the Olympics, many of us are often in awe of the difficult movements gymnasts can perform while making their transitions seem so effortless.

As well as being captivating to watch, gymnastics is also a great first sport for kids. In what other sport can you tumble, jump, roll and have fun while exercising? In addition to being a great outlet for child to burn off their excess energy, gymnastics also has plenty of physical, social and program benefits associated. These benefits include the following:

Physical Benefits:

It may look easy from the audience, but gymnastics actually involves a lot of hard work! All the different movements in classes helps to develop children's strength, flexibility, co-ordination and fitness.

Strength = Exercises within classes utilize body weight to build all-round muscle strength.
Flexibility = Gymnastics helps to improve flexibility through repetitive stretches and exercises. Developing this flexibility from a young age can also help to reduce the probability of future injuries.
Co-ordination = From the get-go every lesson gives children the oppurtunity to improve their coordination, such as walking across a thin balancing beam. This improved co-ordination helps to improve posture and balance.

Social Benefits:

Gymnastics lessons are always social! Although often classed as an individual sport, there are plenty of opportunities for kids to socialize during classes. This regular interaction with other children from a young age can also help fast track their development of fundamental social skills such as learning how to interact with their peers and team work. These fundamental social skills can help ease their transition into schooling life when they are required to interact with a whole class of children.

Confidence:

During gymnastics lessons children are encouraged to overcome challenges, such as working on their cartwheel until they are able to do one without falling over. After each new challenge is accomplished kids will become more confident within themselves and their own abilities. This new-found confidence can help when trying out a new skill within the future and improve children's self-esteem.

Year-round classes:

With seasonal team sports such as netball or basketball, the season often comes to an end mid-way through the year and you are required to sign up to a new program. With gymnastics, classes are continuous and suited to all weather conditions, meaning children can keep their skills progressing year-round.

Progressive program:

Gymnastics programs are offered to children right through to adults. This means children who start from an early age have the opportunity to continue refining their technique and expanding their abilities. Gymnastics also offers a range of dynamic channels for children to move into if they wish including competitions, concerts or general classes.

Fun:

No lesson is ever the same at Gymnastics! Each week kids are given the chance to run around and burn their excess energy with friends while using gymnastics equipment such as balancing beams, foam pits, bars, rings and much more. This creates a fun environment for kids where they won't even realize they are exercising.

Still not convinced gymnastics is a great first sport for children? At HBF Stadium we are currently offering a free trial for kids gymnastics lessons. The free trial is perfect for kids aged 18 months to 10 years and is a great opportunity to try the program before committing to a term of classes. Apply for your free trial.

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