Have you ever considered getting into gymnastics? You can not only take up the sport but also enjoy it, even if you don’t intend to practice it competitively. Moreover, your age doesn’t have to hinder your participation. Several avenues are available that account for age, previous experience, and present ability.
Based on the events of the past couple of years, you cannot entirely rely on access to a gym to get all your fitness requirements taken care of. Consequently, the home has become an easily accessible workout area for many. We have developed this stay active series with various activities to reflect this shift, including a gymnastics fitness challenge at home.
The following moves form part of the foundation for a few different gymnastics fitness challenges at home. So, give them a try and take to practising them as a measure of dipping your toes into gymnastics.
Before beginning, ensure that you are in a clear area with plenty of open space.
Front Support Shoulder Taps
You will need a partner, a judge, and a toy like a teddy bear or plushie for this activity. Keep the toy right in front of you.
Next, take the plank position. Make sure you have the correct form by double-checking that your wrists are in line with your shoulders.
Once in the right spot, the judge has to call movements by asking you to tap either your right or left shoulder. Listen carefully, as the calls will not always follow a specific pattern, and to keep it interesting, they will randomly call for you to pick up the toy.
10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 With Sit-ups and Star Jumps
This challenge tests your speed and endurance.
Executing this activity requires performing an ever-decreasing sequence of star jumps and sit-ups in succession. Therefore, you will begin with ten sit-ups, then ten star jumps, then follow them up with nine of each until you get down to one.
Relay Races
Set up a start and finishing point. Next, select an activity to perform on your way to the finishing point (like a bear walk) and a different one on your way back to the start (try hopping). For an additional challenge, you can also assign an activity at the finish point- for example, touching your elbow to the finish line.
Fly
Lay out some toys in a line along a path with some space between them. Next, take quick steps between the toys. Once done, you can remove one toy as you go back to the start to increase the activity’s difficulty.
5 Minute Armrap
You will need a timer set to five minutes for this challenge.
Once ready, you will do 15 tuck jumps, 10 single-leg V snaps and five burpees. Repeat this series as many times as possible in the five minutes available.
Doing these gymnastics fitness challenges will help you condition your body enough to prepare for the lessons you will take once you enrol in a gymnastics training program at your local gym. So, keep at it and do them often to build your strength and endurance. The results will help you build a strong foundation for your upcoming foray into gymnastics.