We know that exercise helps reduce stress and anxiety, and makes us happier overall. Experts have found that being physically fit produces endorphins (feel-good neurotransmitters in our brain), reduces stress hormones (like adrenaline and cortisol), improves self-esteem, helps us sleep better, and encourages mindfulness.
Gymnastics is a really fun and accessible sport for children of all ages to enjoy these stress-reducing benefits, plus other amazing physical benefits like improved coordination, motor skills, balance, strength, agility, and flexibility. Gymnastic also helps children learn important social skills like following directions, listening, taking turns, learning independence, respecting others, and getting along with teammates.
Gymnastics is the foundation of all individual sports and physical activity. “Gymnastics helps to develop a kinaesthetic awareness much better than any other activity. Kinaesthetic awareness is the body’s sense of movement. It’s just as important as the other five senses, but often overlooked. A lack of kinaesthetic sense can lead to poor coordination, fear of movement, and lack of agility. Gymnastics involves rotating vertically and horizontally, going upside down and sideways, twisting, moving through the air, without touching the ground, getting high and low, and more.”
Besides the physical benefits, gymnastics also offers some additional ways for children to feel calmer and happier. Gymnastics helps children in the following important ways:
Improving Focus: Performing gymnastics moves requires a great deal of focus in order to succeed and not fall over. Think about how thin a balance beam is and how much attention is required just to walk the length of the beam without falling off, let alone if a child is performing handstands, leaps, or back flips on the beam. Learning to focus on accomplishing their goals even amongst many distractions is one of the greatest skills a child can learn that can help them in so many ways throughout their lives. By being aware of their body, thoughts, and emotions and learning how to shift their concentration, they will be empowered and stay in control. Gymnastics is the perfect way to teach focused attention from an early age.
Building Self Confidence: While low self-esteem triggers anxiety, healthy self-esteem makes children more relaxed and comfortable in their own skin. Whether it be learning a new gymnastics skill, participating in gymnastics competitions, or getting over stage fright while performing in front of an audience, your children will build confidence as gymnasts. Gymnastics is a sport all about mastering challenging skills, so children build confidence as they improve over time. Gymnastics helps them learn that hard work and practice pays off, and that they have the power to succeed in the sport and in life.
Overcoming Fears: Gymnastics can be used as a tool for children to address their worries. Gymnastics entails movements and equipment that can be very intimidating–even frightening– for children when they first try them out. A child may be afraid of falling off the balance beam or feel uncomfortable upside down in a headstand. By encouraging our children to challenge themselves in the gym, we give them the experience of facing their fears and moving beyond them. They also learn to communicate what scares them and why. All of these tools will help them throughout life as they face new fears and challenges.
You can find numerous opportunities for your children to learn gymnastics from a young age. Here at Earls Gymnastics we provide a purpose-built facility that is warm and welcoming with experienced motivated coaches to ensure your child has a fantastic learning environment that’s lots of fun.
Earls Gymnastics is one of the leading Gymnastics clubs in the country from pre school gymnastics all the way to international athletes.
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