Gymnastics is not only for adults, but also offers children excellent opportunities to challenge their own bodies. In gymnastics for children are a lot of games and fun with individual exercises.
In the exercises the muscles are also activated. Learning basic movements pays later when they’re learning other sports, whether children continue to enjoy gymnastics or turn to other exercises and activities.
- Is gymnastic good for my child?
- When can my child do gymnastics?
- What equipment do we need to do gymnastics?
- What gymnastics exercises for children can I do at home?
4.1. Warm-up exercises
4.2. Promote balance
4.3. Strengthening the back
Is gymnastic good for my child?
Lack of exercise is one of todays biggest problems. Many children already in kindergarten lack motor skills and are behind in development.
It is therefore not only recommended, but actually necessary, to help children with exercises at home. But not every house is safe to jump and roll around.
This is exactly what is given in gymnastics, in which children of different age groups can romp around and try themselves out.
When can my child do gymnastics?
You can start first exercises at home, but there are little groups at your local gymnastic location that are specially for little kids starting at 1 year.
Gymnastics can already be used in kindergarten, even if the little ones are not even two years old. This is primarily about learning or constantly improving your sense of balance, while older children also do complex exercises.
What equipment do we need to do gymnastics?
Whether you choose to enroll in an on-site class or train at home, children should be provided with some basic equipment.
A complete leotard for children is not absolutely necessary. You can use leggings, as they enable a high degree of mobility without artificial restrictions.
You can use the clothes not only for gymnastics, but also for yoga or other fitness exercises.
Tip: The necessary clothing is very cheap, but makes the playful training sessions much easier.
In addition to clothing, the following materials are helpful and sometimes necessary:
- an exercise ma
- Balls – are ideal as a supplement and for a change
- Rings, cones and poles are ideal for creating small courses with obstacles
What gymnastics exercises for children can I do at home?
Many exercises can also be done at home.
If you don’t feel like registering for an on-site course or if you don’t want to register for an online course for the time being, you can create your own program and train a little.
Always observe the following basic rules:
Do all exercises at a slow or moderate pace. Avoid jerky movements.
Breathe as evenly as possible. Forced breathing should also be avoided during more strenuous exercises.
All gymnastics exercises for children should focus on having fun. Even with exercises that are not performed correctly, the risk of injury is very low, so the control should not be too strict.
4.1. Warm-up exercises
Stand together on an exercise mat and start with moderate movements. For example, you can run in place and activate your legs by heeling, raising your knees, or do small jumps.
In addition to the legs, the arms should also be activated. You can do this by making large circles with your shoulders. Circling 10 times forwards and 10 times backwards, the shoulder area is warmed up.
Now activate your back by standing shoulder-width apart, raising your arms to shoulder height and twisting from left to right. The movement should be as fluid as possible. The arms swing easily.
4.2. Promote balance
For this simple game you only need a marked track. Use tape placed next to each other, which serve as a lines in the room. Only these lines may be entered.
If the exercise is too easy, you can easily adjust the difficulty by making the lines narrower. Alternatively, you can use an inverted bench (at daycare) to add a little bit of height.
In addition, the simple balance exercise can be expanded by allowing the children to only move backwards, sideways or hop across the lines on one leg. It gets particularly tricky when several children have to walk together on a “street” to reach the other side
4.3. Strengthening the back
Even small children sit a lot in daycare and elementary school. At home, children sit on the sofa in front of the television or with their tablets at the table. Sitting plays a crucial role when eating and getting together, but unfortunately leads to many poor postures that can be largely avoided with the help of suitable gymnastic exercises for children.
Cat and Cow
Get on all fours and stretch your back upwards. Look between your legs. Now switch in the opposite direction so that a hollow back is formed. The gaze now goes to the ceiling. Alternate between the two positions to add flexibility to your back.
Roll up and down:
Lie on your back. Bend your legs and place your feet just behind your bottom. Now slowly raise your upper body by rolling up each vertebra in your spine. Extend your arms forward to make it a little easier. Then roll back in reverse.
Straighten your back:
Lie on your stomach and try to grasp your ankles with your hands (with your knees bent). Now raise your head and knees by actively tensing your back.
