Adult Gymnastics - Why We All Should Do It

Have you realized how important movement is to your daily life? We all want a healthier physical
body don't we? What's stopping you from getting started?

This article will focus on adult gymnastics and how it will benefit everyone from all kinds of
background and age.

Most people over 25 believe that they are too old to start gymnastics. It might be too late to start
gymnastics if the intent is to become an Olympic competitor, but it is never too late to gain the
benefits from practicing this sport. Gymnastics will improve performance in any other sport, as
well as improving overall fitness and functional strength to a level that most people hardly attain.

Studies have shown that resistance training improves joint health, maintains muscular
development and improves cardiovascular fitness. This is true for all ages. Gymnastics is all
about resistance training. The conditioning involved in a progressive gymnastics program
focuses on functional strength. With a focused gymnastics conditioning program most adults will
be stronger and it will also help prevent injuries.

Stretching and flexibility is an area that is sadly lacking from most fitness programs. The two to
three minutes spent stretching before a class is simply not enough. Being flexible allows for
greater joint mobility, improves circulation and helps to prevent joint injury. There is a strong
focus on flexibility in gymnastics. Most gymnastics skills are greatly benefited by flexibility and
others are simply impossible without the proper flexibility. Gymnastics stretching is also taught
by people who really understand how to improve flexibility efficiently and safely. Gymnasts are
among the most flexible athletes in the world. As people age their flexibility tends to decrease.
This is generally due to a lack of stretching and physical activity rather than simply a result of
aging. If flexibility is trained throughout one's life a high degree of flexibility can be maintained.

A few points that must be considered when starting gymnastics as an adult. First, is that it is
going to be challenging to start with. Adults will start out with basic skills, and must be patient in
learning new skills. One of the biggest hindrances is that many adults are embarrassed and fear
of looking bad in front of others, not realising that everyone in the gym has been through the
basics. Second, is an awareness of safe progressions. Adults do have a higher risk of injury in
the sport due to larger body size. Even though an adult has more muscle mass to buffer the
impact, the possibility for injury is increased. Additionally, adults recover slower hence proper
progressions and a focus on safety is critical.

The best, and most important factor in starting adult gymnastics is that it's fun. Learning how to
balance on your hands, swing, controlling your body and come as close to self powered flight as
possible is a blast. Gymnastics is anything but boring. There is always another step to learn. It is
possible to learn something new every single class or workout that is attended.
If you are an adult and think you are "too old" to start. Think again!

Resources

https://time.com/5547500/exercise-live-longer/
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/mar/08/getting-fit-in-middle-age-as-beneficial-as-star
ting-early-study