Gymnastics, commonly referred to as gymnastic sports, is often recognized by the public as a sport accompanied by music. However, it encompasses a broader range of activities. While many associate gymnastics with adults, it also offers numerous advantages for children.
What is gymnastics?
Gymnastics is a sport that includes a variety of fundamental sports motions, including body rotation, rolling, swinging, and jumping. Gymnastics is an all-encompassing workout regimen that incorporates body balance, speed, strength, flexibility, and coordination. Parkour, aerobic, rhythmic, men's and women's gymnastics, trampoline, and acrobatics are among the several forms of gymnastics.
Both skill and consistency are needed in this sport. Youngsters can begin gymnastics training at an early age. According to MomJunction, kids as young as 18 months old can begin gymnastics instruction.
Benefits of gymnastics for children
Early exercise exposure can have a number of positive effects on kids' development, both physically and mentally. Children who participate in gymnastics might also develop more body awareness and spatial skills.
The following are a few advantages of gymnastics, especially for kids:
Enhance well-being
Gymnastics can improve children's health. Regular exercise can prevent the body from developing medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis and decreased bone function. Gymnastics also burns fat and helps in weight management. Children who exercise regularly will have healthy and fit bodies and better sleep quality.
Promotes cognitive development in children
Children who participate in gymnastics not only develop stronger muscles and bones but also enhance cognitive abilities and improve brain function. Exercises that require a lot of movement and eye coordination, such as gymnastics, also aid in concurrently strengthening the left and right muscles. Children will exercise both sides of their brains to become smarter and will practice improving their concentration in this way.
Building discipline in children
Kids that take gymnastics courses on a regular basis will pick up discipline skills indirectly. Youngsters will learn how to get ready for gymnastics class and how to behave appropriately in order for the lesson to go successfully.
It helps children's social growth
Gymnastics classes for children are generally held in groups so they can improve social skills. Children who practice gymnastics will also get practice interacting with friends their age. This can hone children's social development.
Develop children's self-confidence
In gymnastics exercises, some movements may seem scary to the child at first. However, with practice and guidance from the instructor, children will find their confidence and dare to do things that were previously considered difficult. This can build a child's image and self-confidence.
Risks of gymnastics
Gymnastics has many benefits for children, especially if done regularly from an early age. If you want to enroll your children in gymnastics classes, there are several risks you need to know, including:
Injury
The risk of injury from gymnastics is quite high. Children can suffer knee, neck and arm injuries during training. To prevent this, make sure children warm up before practice. If necessary, children can use knee or arm protectors when practicing.
Fear of failure
Children who practice gymnastics can also experience feelings of fear of failure, not wanting to lose, and even wanting to give up when they fail. This failure can have a psychological impact on the child, but if parents can direct it well, then the child can learn from this failure and practice being better.
Gymnastics, if done regularly, not only maintains health and prevents obesity but is also good for children's psychological development.
If you need medical advice or consultation, you can either visit a doctor or make use of the consultation features that are available in the Ai Care application by downloading the Ai Care application from the App Store or Play Store.
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- Sean Edbert Lim, MBBS
Makvana, H. (2023). Gymnastics For Kids: Right Age, Benefits, Games & Activities. Available from: https://www.momjunction.com/articles/gymnastics-for-kids_00385071/
LaMarco, N. (2022). What Is Flexibility?. Available from: https://www.verywellfit.com/flexibility-definition-and-examples-3496108
CDC. Health benefits of Physical Activity for Children. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/adults/health-benefits-of-physical-activity-for-children.html