GYMNASTICS

Brief history of gymnastics

The earliest recorded activities in gymnastics were some exercises, stunts, and tumbling
resembling gymnastics. Hanging, climbing ropes, swinging, balancing on stones and logs,
flipping, and turning were common activities during the early civilizations. The Chinese
had a sort of exercise called the “Kung Fu” or medical gymnastics, while India had the
Yoga. The Greeks had activities with apparatuses and they developed the word
gymnastics which means “Naked Art”. The pictures on stones found in Egypt are
evidences of the Egyptian participation in some sort of balancing activities. The pyramids
were inspiration of the pyramid activities in gymnastics. The Roman because of their love
of war, devised a wooden equipment similar to the back of a horse were they could
practice mounting and dismounting a horse indoor. This equipment is now being used in
the class activities and skills in its use is one of the events in the competitive gymnastics.

Gymnastics defined

The word gymnastics is derived from the word gymnasium and at one time it included all
the activities in a gymnasium. Today its use is more sharply restricted to and includes
only those exercises that are not games, dances, sports or athletics. The term gymnastics
therefore includes calisthenics, light and heavy apparatus work, tumbling stunts, and
marching.

The term gymnastics also refers to a system of physical exercises used for therapeutic or
educational purposes. Therapeutic or remedial gymnastics is a series of selected
exercises that help relieve physical discomfort or restore body function for disabled
people. Educational gymnastics is a program that challenges students to master tactics
involving strength, flexibility, and conditioning.

Definition
- are systematic bodily exercises based on scientific principles. There must be a
reason for every movement.
- is a self motivating activity where one can manipulate the different parts of the body
into varied positions or movements.

The attainment of skills can only be done through proper body preparations specially on
strength and flexibility. The changes in today’s gymnastics are the emphasis on flowing
movements and the inclusion of dance and locomotor skills in the creation of routines.
Grace, poise, and dignity of movements are emphasized. The masculine and rigid
movements are now changed to more relaxed and easy movements.
The Phases of the Gymnastic Program

The gymnastic program has different phases and its phase contributes to the various
elements in gymnastics. These elements are: strength, flexibility, balance, agility,
coordination, and endurance. In addition, grace, poise and dignity of movements are
attained.

1. Conditioning Program
- The exercises are selected for the purpose of preparing the body for more
complicated movements and skills. Exercises for warm-up can also selected in this
phase. The phase can also be considered as “Calisthenics” since routines can be
made out of the exercises in the conditioning program.

2. Rhythmic Gymnastic
- Routines or exercises accompanied with music are called” Rhythmic Gymnastics”.
They are so called because they are performed in a rhythmical manner and the
movements are flowing. This phase includes the free hand exercises with the use
of light apparatuses such as wands, rings, hoops, ribbons, ropes, etc. Gymnastics
skills, dance skills, locomotor skills, stunts and tumbling skills are combined to form
a routine on the floor. This is where the performer can create and develop her own
routine according to her abilities.

3. Stunts
- Stunts are activities in the form of play and they test one’s strength, flexibility,
balance, agility, endurance and coordination. This place is specially suited to the
lower grades.

- Some stunts can be considered as conditioning exercise and still some are
preparatory stunts to tumbling skills.

4. Tumbling
- This is the most important phase of the gymnastics program, because this is where
the ability of the performer is tested as he rolls to and fro; twists, turns and spring
about on the mat, floor, and in the air.

5. Apparatus Exercise (Heavy)

- This includes exercises done on the balance beam, vaulting horse, parallel bars,
uneven bars, rings, and the trampoline.

6. Pyramid Building
- This phase of the program makes a pictures (mural) out of body static Positions.
The positions should be properly arranged and selected so that they form the
shape of a pyramid.
TERMS in GYMNASTICS

1. Arch
- The arch is a position where the body is curved like an arc of a circle, with
the hip forward and the head and trunk bent backward.
2. Dismount
- A stunt used by a performer to get off the apparatus.
3. Exercise or routine
- Exercises planned with series of dance skills, locomotor skills, gymnastics
skills and tumbling skills performed with or without music.
4. Held or static position
- These are positions held for 2 seconds or more.
5. Mount
- Stunts performed by a performer to go up on an apparatus.
6. Press
- The application of steady pressure to a particular muscle or group of muscle
in order to attain a desired stretch.
7. Scale
- Is a support on one leg with the other leg raised at the back and the body
arch.
8. Split
- A position where the legs are extended forward and backward in a straight
position.
9. Spotter
- A person who helps a performer go about a skill for the first time.
10. Spotting
- The act of helping a person to go about a skill for the first time.
11. Tuck
- A position where the head and the knees are in contact and the trunk is
curved.