Gymnastics

Gymnastics can involve work with the beam, the wall bars, and with apparatus such as the rope, the hoop, the ribbon and stick, the ball and a set of clubs. However, body work is the basis of good gymnastics. Floor exercises such as turning, leaping, lunging and rolling all require a high level of fitness, so if it is optimum fitness that you desire, then gymnastics makes an excellent choice. It is a good exercise for children and anyone who is still naturally supple but is not generally suitable for the over-60s.

Before you start gymnastic practice, it is always important that you go through a series of warm-up exercises for 5-10 minutes in order to stretch your muscles and increase your suppleness. This is vital because it will help to reduce the danger of injury.

The fundamental techniques you will learn at a class at your local gym are:

• Swinging and circling Throwing and catching

In swinging you need to transfer your body weight from one foot to the other in a smooth movement, while at the same time managing the piece of equipment that you are using. In circling, a circular movement is performed with various apparatus, such as ribbon.

Throwing and catching balls, hoops and clubs requires you to be sufficiently coordinated to perform a single, double or even triple forward roll while at the same time managing, for example, the hoop or the clubs.

You will learn how to spin, roll, rotate, toss, juggle and bounce the various pieces of equipment using your feet, legs, shoulder and back to balance your weight.

Footwork is, of course, the most important in gymnastics. Your footwork needs to be intricate, precise and well-defined. Indeed, you will see that many of the steps used are derived from classical ballet . As you progress both in technique and in fitness you will move on to different types leaps, jumps and turns.

Muscular fitness is challenged to the full in the balance

FACTFILE Calories burnt per minute: 3.3-5 Benefits: strength, endurance, suppleness and flexibility Works on: arms, legs, buttocks, stomach, chest, shoulders, back and neck positions . Body waves (a fluid movement along the body that gives the appearance of a `ripple') can be a spectacular sight. Back bends (stretching slowly backward until the hands and arms are resting on the floor and the back is arched) should be carried out with care and only when you are fully fit. Sit ups are an excellent method of preparation for the back bend because they strengthen the abdominal muscles that support the back and protect it form injury.

Acrobatics form of part of the spectacle of gymnastics when performed at the highest level. Some types of gymnastics include the handstand, the cartwheel, the handspring and the somersault.

The integration of tempo and rhythm is now an essential part of gymnastics, bringing the sport ever closer to modern dance.

Training for gymnastics requires many hours to be spend in developing strength, flexibility and stamina. Some experts believe that the single most important component in successful gymnastics is strength.