Physical development is very important for a newborn baby. Experts believe that in children of the first year of life, mental and physical development are inseparable from each other. In order for the baby to develop harmoniously, attention should be paid not only to motor skills and sensory skills, but also to gymnastic exercises. Gymnastics for newborns should become a mandatory item of the regime. How to introduce classes with a newborn into daily practice? What exercises to prefer in the first months of a baby's life?
What is gymnastics for?
Physical activity important at any age. A person who moves a lot, goes in for sports, always looks better and is in good health. This principle applies to both adults and children. A newborn baby is no exception. A proven fact: if a child is given massage and various exercises every day, then he develops more quickly, harmoniously and often ahead of his peers both physically and mentally.
The benefits of gymnastics are enormous:
- The child quickly learns his body and gets used to it.
- Tactile contact with the mother soothes the baby and has a beneficial effect on the development of the psyche.
- Develops coordination of movements.
- Muscles and joints are strengthened.
- Improved metabolic processes.
- Gymnastics for babies allows you to develop the necessary reflexes.
It is especially worth paying attention to gymnastics for mothers who prefer tight swaddling. In this case, the child is deprived of the opportunity to move freely, the muscles become numb and do not develop. With this method of swaddling, charging for newborns is simply necessary. It should become a daily routine!
If diapers are not used, then the baby himself will reflexively move quite actively. In this case, gymnastics for newborns can be introduced simply as a pleasant and useful pastime.
When to start classes
The physical development of children up to a year is extremely important, so you need to start as early as possible. If there are no medical contraindications, then the first lesson can be held already in the second week of the baby's life.
If there are any concerns, then you can first consult with a pediatrician.
How to integrate classes into daily practice
It is necessary to start doing exercises for the baby smoothly and gradually. For starters, you can take two or three exercises and do them every day at the same time, for example, before bathing. It is important to remember that at least an hour must pass after feeding.
The duration of gymnastics for a newborn should be no more than 3-6 minutes. Exercises are repeated up to 5-7 times. In this mode, you can practice up to a month.
It is good if mother will accompany each exercise with affectionate words, rhymes and songs. This will not only calm the baby and set him in a positive way, but also help in the development of hearing and speech.
After a month of age, you can gradually increase the number of exercises to 7-10 and do them for a longer time - 10-13 minutes. It must be remembered that gymnastics for newborns should be enjoyable for the child. If the baby cries and it is clear that some movement causes discomfort to him, then you should immediately stop charging. After a while, you can try again, but choosing other exercises.
Do not do gymnastics with your child if he is sick or overtired!
Gymnastics for a month old baby
If the baby is only a few weeks old, then you should choose the exercises carefully. The main rule is do no harm.
At this age, most infants have muscle hypertonicity, so exercise for newborns should be aimed at relaxation.
You can use the following exercises:
- Breeding the handles in different directions and crossing them on the chest.
- Raising the handles up and down (mill).
- Breeding the legs to the sides and bringing them back.
- Rotation of the hip, describing a semicircle.
- Exercise "book" (bend the baby's legs at the knee and bring them together and spread them, simulating the closing and opening of a book).
- Laying out on the tummy, stimulating the child to raise his head.
Each exercise can be repeated 5 times. All movements should be performed carefully and without jerks. Next, you should finish charging with a small massage - smooth stroking the arms, legs, torso of the child. Massage should be given as much time as gymnastic exercises.
Charging for children up to a year on a fitball
Fitball is a large gymnastic ball. With it, you can not only tighten the figure of the mother after childbirth, but also develop the baby. Classes can start as early as two weeks of age. Gymnastics for children under one year old on a fitball is extremely useful:
- Such exercises reduce the tone and relax the muscles of the intestine, which is the prevention of colic.
- A slight vibration during movements is an excellent stimulation of many important organs of the child.
- The vestibular apparatus develops.
- Exercise brings a lot of positive emotions to the child and mother.
Fitball charging rules
- The diameter of the ball is better to choose 60-75 cm.
- You can not pull the baby hard by the hands and feet. This can cause a dislocation.
- The child must be carefully held behind the back, buttocks, stomach, forearms.
- No need to do too much range of motion - you can accidentally drop the crumbs.
- Classes are best accompanied by music, singing or telling nursery rhymes.
- If the baby does not like it, he cries, you must immediately stop charging.
- You can’t practice on a fitball if the umbilical wound has not yet healed in the child or the baby is not feeling well.
For very young children who are not yet a year old, the following exercises are suitable:
Place the baby on the ball and "jump" a little. The range of motion should be small!
Put the child on the ball with his stomach and roll back and forth, and then in a circle. This exercise is a great substitute for abdominal massage.
Put the baby back on the ball and, gently holding the tummy and legs, roll it back and forth. Some babies are afraid to be on the ball in this position, so you need to monitor the reaction of the baby
Put the baby on the fitball in the “on the side” position and also ride. Then change position and roll the child on the other side
The arms and chest of the child are on the ball, and the legs are kept on weight. In this position, you can roll the baby back and forth
The fitness ball is a universal projectile for the whole family. You can come up with or find hundreds of exercises using this sports accessory on the Internet. With its help, you can deal not only with a newborn, but also with a child of any age.
It does not matter what exercises the mother chooses for the baby - with a ball or classical gymnastics. Any physical activity will bring great benefits to the crumbs. The main thing to remember is that gymnastics should be based on three principles: regularity, accuracy and the pleasure of the child.
However, when choosing exercises, we must remember that charging is not an ordinary workout.
Morning exercises are a warm-up before a working day. It helps the circulatory system tune in to daily activity and improves the supply of oxygen to the muscles, brain, internal organs and tissues. After sleep, the circulation of blood throughout the body is reduced, the lungs are constricted, the nervous system is inhibited. It is impossible to give yourself a serious load such as running or strength exercises immediately after waking up - the body cannot cope with it, there is a high risk of injury or even upset the balance of various systems. But after morning exercises, you can even go to the gym, even to work.
Thus, the purpose of the morning exercise is to gradually improve blood circulation throughout the body. This will speed up the metabolism. And even if you sit in the office all day after charging, anyway, at least in the first half of the day, your body will not accumulate calories, but burn them. What is required for weight loss!
When and how?
It is best, of course, to do exercises every day. Ten to fifteen minutes is enough, but if desired, you can increase the duration to half an hour. If it doesn’t work every day, do it as often as you can, it will still be more useful than doing nothing at all.
It is necessary to do exercises BEFORE breakfast. But you must drink water before exercise, at least a glass. After all, you did not drink at least 8 hours of sleep, some amount of water was excreted in urine and sweat. Once the liquid is gone, it means that the blood has become thicker and to increase its circulation in such an “undiluted” form is to overload the heart. So, you need water, and if you are hungry - juice. Those who cannot live without coffee or tea can also drink these drinks. But a standard cup of coffee (50 ml) will not dilute the blood, so supplement it with another liquid.
Now let's deal with the intensity of movements. Remember a simple rule: the colder the weather, the less active you should start. That is, if in the summer you can do exercises with a heart rate of 90-100 beats per minute, and by the end of the workout raise your heart rate to 110, then in winter start with 85-90.
Subtleties of choice
It is necessary to start with low-intensity exercises, gradually increasing the load. The difference from a full-fledged workout is that after charging, in no case should you feel tired. If this happens, then shorten the morning workout or make it slower. At the same time, morning exercises are not relaxation and stretching. During the lesson, you should feel that the heart began to beat faster, breathing quickened. After morning exercises, a feeling of lightness and cheerfulness should definitely appear. If, after charging, you are going to go to the gym or, for example, ride a bike, the charge should be longer and end at a higher heart rate than usual.
Another important point is breathing. Try to breathe as deeply as possible, not only with a full chest, but also with your stomach. This will straighten the lungs that have been compressed overnight and increase the amount of oxygen entering the blood. In turn, increasing the amount of oxygen and improving blood circulation will speed up the metabolism and increase the amount of fat burned during movement.
Practice
Now let's see what exercises are useful to include in morning exercises and how to do them right.
It is best to start with stretching your arms up, turning your head, twisting your arms to work your joints. When you reach up and twist your head, in no case do not throw it back (do not lower the back of your head to your back). It is better to bend your arms and legs at first slightly at the joints, without tension, and then start turning them at a moderate pace.
Use complex exercises, that is, those that include all the muscles in your body. For example, walking in place or around the yard. Do not forget to move your arms during it and do not slouch.
Excellent exercises for charging - squats and lunges. It is necessary not to go too low, so that the angle in the knee joint is straight or obtuse. In no case do not bring your knees on squats.
Another complex exercise is push-ups. Push-ups from the floor on toes are given to few people, as they require decent physical fitness. Feel free to simplify this exercise. The easiest option is to do push-ups with your hands on the wall. The further away from the wall the legs are moved, the more difficult it is. A slightly higher load - knees on the floor, hands on a chair or sofa. Even harder - feet (socks, not knees) on the floor, hands on the couch. Finally, the "feminine" version - knees and hands on the floor. When you manage to do 20 push-ups like this, lean on your hands and socks.
Charging can be done with dumbbells, and with other weights. In this case, choose exercises that again involve a maximum of muscles. That is, do not just bend and unbend your arms, but do tilts in different directions with weights, squats, lift dumbbells from the floor, etc. But exercises for the press (twisting, leg raises) are not suitable for morning exercises - they involve too few muscles, they do not increase oxygen supply and blood circulation. It is better to leave them in the evening.
Finally, another option is charging with a device that, willy-nilly, involves the entire body. For example, a short bike ride, rotating a gymnastic hoop (hula hoop), stretching an expander, and so on.
In general, as you can see, morning exercises are very simple and at the same time very effective!
Why do moms and dads strive to make their daughters look like Alina Kabaeva, Irina Chashchina and Laysan Utyasheva; from what age do girls need to be enrolled in the rhythmic gymnastics section; what are the dangers of intensive stretching and what is the undeniable benefit of regular exercise? Rambler/Family offers to sort it out right now!
By the way, did you know that rhythmic gymnastics is a relatively young sport for girls and girls. The Higher School of the Art Movement was opened in St. Petersburg in 1913. The "parents" of this sport direction were the ballet dancers of the Mariinsky Theater. Since 1980, rhythmic gymnastics has been included in the program Olympic Games.
Rhythmic gymnastics - the princess of sports
If you decide to enroll your daughter in the rhythmic gymnastics section, remember that the optimal age to start is five to six years. Some prefer to start as early as possible - in three or four years. But do not rush, do not deprive the baby of childhood.
In addition, three-year-olds have little understanding of what sports mentors require of them. It is possible that the baby will be afraid of an uncomfortable large gym, start crying in class and ask to go home. But older children are more obedient, follow the coach's commands, memorize new acrobatic elements and easily make friends.
It is also not worth it to be late with the start of training. For example, it will be difficult for first-graders to master sports elements due to the lack of flexibility inherent in preschoolers. This does not mean that girls six or seven years old and older need to forget about rhythmic gymnastics. You can enroll in a section and do not to achieve sports results, but for your own pleasure, attending one or two classes a week.
As for the selection criteria for young gymnasts, everything here depends on the focus on results. If we talk about big sports, then slender tall girls with good coordination of movements and excellent memory will succeed in rhythmic gymnastics (gymnasts have to memorize many connections between disparate acrobatic elements). Girls who are prone to fullness, poorly managing their bodies, are unlikely to be of interest to the coach.
But if we are talking about amateur activities, then the group accepts “various” babies: thin, plump, short, tall, flexible and “stiff”. Some parents send their daughter to rhythmic gymnastics, hoping that regular classes will correct the girl's posture, help her lose weight. excess weight and make it more sophisticated, feminine.
It is not uncommon for girls who meet most of the requirements to not show proper results, as they do not have flexibility or diligence. As practice shows, it is possible to understand whether a young athlete will achieve success already a few weeks after the start of classes. In most cases, gymnasts leave the sport at the age of 16–17, giving way to younger successors. At the same time, many girls continue to train, but in a different status. They can join the faculty physical culture, devote yourself to choreography, work as fitness instructors or train little gymnasts in your own sports school.
Harm or benefit?
Girls in rhythmic gymnastics
Rhythmic gymnastics is undoubtedly the most aesthetic, graceful and inspiring sport. Girls in bright swimsuits with tufts of hair gathered at the back of their heads, who are in perfect control of their flexible bodies and perform virtuoso acrobatic numbers, cannot but arouse delight among outside observers. And only the “artists” themselves and their strict coaches know what really stands behind this airy lightness and beauty.
The impeccably perfected, automatic movements of gymnasts are the result of many hours of daily training, which is accompanied by muscle pain, fatigue and often irritation as a result of discrepancy between the results and expectations.
But all this is behind the scenes. In appearance, rhythmic gymnastics is the best suited for girls. However, you need to understand that this sport, like any other, is fraught with dangers. But it can also bring invaluable benefits to the child.
Side effects of intense exercise:
Muscle pain. Until about the age of seven, gymnasts are engaged in general physical preparation of the body, and after that they learn numbers for performances in competitions. During this period, the emphasis is on stretching. At the same time, the sensations are quite painful, almost all girls (even the most plastic ones by nature) cry during stretching.
Large physical exercise. Young children exercise for a couple of hours a day. But the amount of time devoted to training increases with age. So, teenage girls who are preparing for competitions do 10-14 hours a day! Hence - injuries, the development of occupational diseases (many gymnasts have problems with the spine, knees and ankles), and sometimes even nervous breakdowns.
Diets and hunger pangs. To maintain good physical shape, gymnasts, especially those who are prone to fullness, are forced to cut back on their daily calories. Diets are very common among those who are preparing for the next competition or have gained extra pounds during the holidays.
There are legends about coaches who forbid their wards to eat. At one time, the star of Russian rhythmic gymnastics Alina Kabaeva was strongly recommended by sports mentors not to eat after five or six in the evening. And her colleague Laysan Utyasheva recalled how, driven to exhaustion by training and diets, she ate dog food.
Missed school hours. As mentioned above, gymnasts devote most of their time to training in gym. At the same time, school performance leaves much to be desired. And it’s not even about laziness: girls simply don’t have time to prepare for classes and attend them. The most diligent solve math problems or prepare for a biology lab right in the locker room, in between workouts.
Gymnast girls
Good physical form. From a young age, girls-gymnasts develop a beautiful correct posture and gait. Little athletes differ from their peers in tightened relief muscles, grace, endurance, and plasticity. Girls have a developed sense of rhythm, they move perfectly to almost any music. And the gymnasts are very artistic and self-confident.
Health. Sport ensures the harmonious development of a growing child's body. According to doctors, regular physical activity strengthens the musculoskeletal system and muscles. Through rhythmic gymnastics, you can save the girl from clubfoot and incipient scoliosis. It is also undeniable that young athletes are less prone to colds.
Tempering character. Gymnastics provides emotional stability, makes the child disciplined, purposeful. Girls and women who did gymnastics in childhood unanimously say that sport tempered their character, taught them to solve problems without unnecessary emotions, achieve goals and improve themselves.
positive infatuation. Exercise is one of the best and most affordable antidepressants. The fact is that during training, the body produces the so-called hormones of happiness - endorphins. In addition, rhythmic gymnastics can be considered as an interesting hobby.
Parents feel much calmer when they know that their child devotes his free time to a worthy cause, and does not wander aimlessly in the yard, being subjected to the bad influence of peers and older children.
To go or not to go: the opinion of parents
“In the regions, one should not count on global sports success, here we are talking only about mass sports. If parents want their children to become stars of rhythmic gymnastics, then they need to go to Moscow and train there.
Rhythmic gymnastics is a very expensive sport: swimwear costs from 5,000 rubles, a ball - from 3,000 rubles. And you also need to buy a jump rope, a hoop, a ribbon. At the same time, the objects “grow” with the child. Also, competitions and trips to the training camp require certain financial costs.
In Sevastopol, we have to rent a hall, since we have practically no halls suitable for this sport, or they are in a dilapidated state. Therefore, parents, sending their child to rhythmic gymnastics, should understand that a lot of expenses will be required, ”shares the opinion of the head of one of the Sevastopol companies Vyacheslav Tertus, who enrolled his daughter in rhythmic gymnastics when the girl was 4.5 years old.
According to the parent, the decision on whether to enroll the child in the rhythmic gymnastics section should be made by moms and dads together with the doctor. In the first years of training, you need to closely monitor your daughter in order to notice possible deterioration in well-being in time. If rhythmic gymnastics obviously harms the daughter's health, then you can switch to an alternative sport - aesthetic gymnastics, the load in which is less intense.
To go or not to go: teacher's opinion
Marina Budaeva, a choreography teacher and specialist consultant of the Pomogatel.ru service, recommends giving a child to professional sports from the age of four, since at this age the data necessary for gymnastics are most easily developed: eversion, flexibility, endurance and discipline.
“With good natural data, you can get into an amateur rhythmic gymnastics group up to 10-12 years old. At a later age, it is very difficult to stretch the child to the required level, and the strict discipline that occurs in gymnastics can injure the fragile psyche of a teenager in the puberty period, ”the expert notes.
According to Marina Budaeva, regular rhythmic gymnastics strengthens the immune system, muscles, and joints. It also improves the functioning of the heart and blood vessels. But all medicines in large quantities are poison: excessive loads are harmful to health.
“Another significant disadvantage of rhythmic gymnastics is that girls must limit themselves in nutrition in order to go on the carpet without a gram of excess fat. Unfortunately, such a pursuit of harmony often leads to the development of anorexia nervosa, as well as to the diagnosis of “primary amenorrhea”: due to insufficient body fat, the body cannot synthesize sex female hormones, and the girl begins to lag behind her peers in development,” notes the choreographer .
“In addition, I would not recommend rhythmic gymnastics for children with a sensitive psyche. You can pay attention to sports such as synchronized swimming, figure skating, ballroom dancing,” advises Marina Budaeva.
To go or not to go: the opinion of a psychologist
According to Elena Koneeva, a psychologist, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor of the Department of Psychology at the Moscow Institute of Psychology, selection for sports begins at the age of seven. At the amateur level, rhythmic gymnastics can be started before the end of the favorable (sensitive) period of flexibility development - up to 11-14 years.
“In some schools, rhythmic gymnastics is the third lesson of physical education, even in high school. Since this type of gymnastics is purely feminine, among the advantages of the classes are the formation of posture, grace, musicality, dance and choreographic training. In order to maintain graceful forms, girls are taught to eat healthy food from the first days of classes, and this habit remains with them for the rest of their lives,” emphasizes Elena Koneeva.
The only negative for those involved in rhythmic gymnastics, according to the expert, arises at the stage of achieving the highest sportsmanship. Participation in international competitions leads to overload, overwork, overstrain, which, in turn, can lead to injury.
As for the financial expenses of parents whose daughters are fond of rhythmic gymnastics, then, as Elena Koneeva notes, if a child is selected for a sports school, then classes there are free. Classes in a section at a school or club will cost 5,000 rubles a month.
And finally - advice for moms and dads: before enrolling a child in a rhythmic gymnastics section, ask how interested he is in this sport. If your baby does not want to do exercises, no amount of persuasion will help. Otherwise, when a girl loves rhythmic gymnastics, trains intensively and dreams sports achievements, keep her passionate and don't forget to talk about how proud you are of her. Let sports be fun!
Gymnastics is a universal set of exercises and is distinguished by its diversity, simplicity and accessibility. Each athlete, regardless of age or level of physical fitness, is able to choose the most suitable set gymnastic exercises and improve overall health.
Regular performance of gymnastic exercises will noticeably affect the relief muscle mass, flexibility, mobility, endurance of the body, reducing excess weight, and will also positively affect breathing, cardiac activity and the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
Depending on the direction of the exercises, gymnastics is divided into general developmental, tonic, athletic and recreational.
Wellness or physiotherapy involves the implementation of a set of exercises prescribed by the doctor, selected individually for each patient.
Athletic physical education is distinguished by the use of various sports equipment to enhance the gymnastic effect. As weights, weights, barbells, expanders or power simulators are often used.
The tonic effect is achieved through musical accompaniment, continuity of exercises and a certain pace of movements.
Such gymnastics is an integral part of weight loss programs and has a strict focus on problem areas of the body.
However, among all types of gymnastic exercises, the most popular and in demand is general developmental.
General developmental gymnastics
Universal gymnastic exercises are characterized by universal and restorative movements that have a complex effect on all organs and systems of the body.
Such gymnastics is the basis of every sports activity, suitable for both children and the elderly, does not require special training and includes many variations of varying complexity.
Exercises without objects
The most convenient and affordable training option is to perform exercises without additional sports equipment. Freedom of action gives you the opportunity to actively engage outside the gym or fitness club, at home or on fresh air. In this case, the load is its own weight, frequency and sharpness of movements.
Below are a few universal exercises that you can include in your gymnastic complex:
The starting position is standing, feet shoulder-width apart, the shoulder blades are brought together, the head is raised, and the eyes are looking forward. Alternately raise your arms up through the sides, forward, do "scissors" and "wheel", doing at least two repetitions for each of the listed movements.
From a similar starting position, we make inclinations forward and backward, to the left and right sides, as well as circular movements. Each option is performed 20 times.
From a standing position, we make a deep squat, after which we return to the starting position, alternately raising the knee of each leg to the chest. Next, swings and lunges of the legs are performed. Each exercise is repeated up to 20 times in several approaches.
Stick exercises
To diversify the exercises and enhance the effect, you can use a gymnastic stick or any other suitable elongated objects.
With the help of such a long projectile of 120 cm, the shoulder, dorsal and pectoral muscles, joints, ligaments and tendons are developed.
So, with the help of a gymnastic stick, you can perform an exercise to twist the spine:
- Take the starting position while standing, placing your feet shoulder-width apart, pressing your feet parallel to the floor, lifting your chin and straightening your chest;
- Fix the projectile on the elbow bends behind the back;
- Keeping your back straight and without taking your legs off the floor, make movements to the left and right side;
- All movements must be done without the help of hands and only due to the muscles of the back and abdomen;
- Perform the exercise about 30 times, repeating it in three sets.
Other devices can be used as gymnastic equipment: a roller, a bench, a Swedish wall, dumbbells.
Photos of gymnastic exercises clearly show that most often such physical education is performed easily, fun and in a big company. Simple technique, versatility and accessibility make gymnastics an integral part of the life of every person who cares about his health and physical fitness.
Photo of gymnastic exercises
The content of the article:
Rhythmic gymnastics is one of the most beautiful sports and the desire of mothers to send their girls to the section is understandable. Note that this is a fairly young sports discipline, and the first rhythmic gymnastics school in our country was opened in 1913. Its founders were ballet dancers who previously worked at the Mariinsky Theatre. Rhythmic gymnastics was included in the program of the Olympic Games only in 1980.
Features of rhythmic gymnastics
You should start doing rhythmic gymnastics from the age of five or six. Sometimes mothers decide to send their daughters to the section even at the age of three, but you definitely shouldn’t rush. Firstly, you deprive the baby of her childhood, and, secondly, at the age of three, the child often does not understand what the coach wants to achieve from him. It is highly likely that the girl will be frightened of a large hall and crowds of people, which will cause her to cry and desire to return home faster.
Another thing is if the child is five or a little more years old. The baby will diligently follow all the instructions of her mentor, quickly master the basic gymnastic elements, and also make new friends. At the same time, it’s not worth waiting for a long time, because as the child grows older, the flexibility decreases and it will be much more difficult for him to master the gymnastic elements. But at the same time, you can send your daughter to the section at a later age, without worrying about sports results. The health benefits of the child in such a situation will be obvious.
No less important are the selection criteria for the rhythmic gymnastics section. In this matter, much, if not all, depends on the goal pursued. When parents want to see their baby in a big sport, slender and tall girls with excellent memory and high coordination of movements have the best chances for success. Do not think that we were mistaken in mentioning a good memory as a requirement for selection. Gymnasts must memorize a large number of combinations of gymnastic movements.
If a girl is prone to fullness and cannot control her body well, then the trainers are unlikely to be interested in her. If the child's sports results do not matter to you, then there are no restrictions. Often, parents are sure that rhythmic gymnastics will help improve the baby's posture, eliminate excess weight, and also make her more feminine.
Quite often, girls who fully meet the selection requirements cannot achieve good results due to insufficient diligence or flexibility. Experienced trainers can determine the potential of a child in a couple of weeks of training. Most often, a sports career in rhythmic gymnastics ends at the age of 17. However, athletes can continue to train, but in a different capacity.
What do you need to do rhythmic gymnastics?
Get ready for the fact that before starting classes in sports sections you will need to purchase special clothes. With regard to rhythmic gymnastics, the minimum requirements are Czech shoes and a leotard. The simplest models are suitable for training, because beautiful swimsuits are used only during competitions.
Very often, girls, having come to the rhythmic gymnastics section, dream of beautiful exercises with tape and other sports equipment. However, they will begin to master them only after one or two years of training. Most often, all sports equipment will be provided in the section, which is good news, because their cost is quite high. Thus, if your baby soon changes her mind about doing this sport, then you won’t have to regret financial investments, because they are minimal.
Rhythmic gymnastics: what are the benefits and harms
Let's see what benefits and harms rhythmic gymnastics can bring. It is quite obvious that along with the positive aspects there will be negative ones, which parents should definitely know about.
Harm of rhythmic gymnastics
This is one of the most elegant and aesthetic sports. Athletes in beautiful bright swimsuits demonstrate virtuoso control of their bodies, performing complex acrobatic numbers. This spectacle cannot leave anyone indifferent. However, only the coaches and their pupils know what lies under this grace.
All movements can be brought to automatism and honed solely through regular hours of practice. Very often, training is accompanied by severe pain and fatigue. However, all these moments are not known to the audience and many are sure that it is rhythmic gymnastics that is the best view sports for girls. Today we talk about the benefits and harms of rhythmic gymnastics, but let's start with the negative points.
- Pain in the muscles- most often, until the age of seven, girls are engaged only in general physical training, and only after that they proceed to the study of gymnastic combinations. In this sport, stretching is of great importance, and when performing special exercises, girls often have tears in their eyes due to pain.
- Strong physical activity- I start young athletes with training for a couple of hours a day. Gradually, the duration of classes increases and in preparation for tournaments, the training can last about 10 hours! All this leads to injuries of the spinal column, joints and even nervous breakdowns.
- Hungry swoon- a gymnast should not have problems with being overweight and have to severely limit the energy value of her diet. As a result, starvation fainting among "artists" is not uncommon.
- Absence from school- in order to achieve good results in big-time sports, girls are forced to miss school classes, because a lot of time is spent on training. Very often they have to do their homework right in the locker room before the start of training.
The benefits of rhythmic gymnastics
Speaking about the benefits and harms that rhythmic gymnastics can bring, one cannot speak only about the shortcomings. This is especially true for those situations when a child attends a sports section for his own pleasure and high sports performance is not expected from him. Let's find out what advantages this sport has.
- Excellent physical shape- from the very beginning of classes in the section, the child develops the correct posture, as well as gait. Young athletes stand out sharply against the background of their peers with excellent plasticity, high flexibility and harmony. A sense of rhythm is instilled in girls, and they can perfectly move to any music. Do not forget about self-confidence, which is common to all athletes.
- Improved health- scientists are confident that regular physical activity contributes to the harmonious development of the child's body. Rhythmic gymnastics is an excellent means of combating scoliosis at the initial stage and even clubfoot.
- Tempered character- sport makes children purposeful and instills discipline in them. All former gymnasts who have completed sports career, assure that thanks to sports they can solve any life problems without strong emotions.
- Eliminate the consequences of stressful situations- scientists have proven that sports are the best antidepressant. This is due to the acceleration of endorphin production during exercise. In addition to all of the above, gymnastics can also be considered as a hobby.
Whether to send a child to rhythmic gymnastics: expert opinion
Most parents whose children are involved in rhythmic gymnastics are sure that in order to achieve great sports results, it is necessary to go to Moscow. In the regions, this is much more difficult, because often parents are forced to independently purchase sports equipment and pay for the child's trip to tournaments. Also, you should first consult a doctor and carefully monitor the health of your girl.
Professional trainers recommend giving a child a professional section from the age of 4. You can enroll in amateur groups a little later, and with good natural data, this is possible even at the age of ten. Coaches agree that physical activity is good for the body, but only if it is moderate.
A rather significant drawback of rhythmic gymnastics, according to the experts themselves, is the need for a serious restriction of the diet. You should not send girls to the rhythmic gymnastics section, whose muscles do not recover well after microtraumas. We have already said that in this sport a lot of attention is paid to stretching, and if muscle tissue is restored for a long time, then severe pain cannot be avoided and almost every lesson for a girl will turn into torture.
Also, at the end of the conversation about the benefits and harms of rhythmic gymnastics, it is worth recalling that it is important to find out the opinion of the child himself about this sport. If the girl goes to gymnastics, then the training will be her joy and will only benefit. Of course, first of all, this statement is true for amateur sports.
More about rhythmic gymnastics in the following video:
