Ways Your Gymnast Can Safely Practice At Home
Picture this: your child just finished their class and as they’re gathering their belongings to head home, they’re telling you all about wanting to keep practicing. I’m sure all you can think about is the danger that could come of letting your child do this.
As coaches, we often get the question, “What are some things my child can do to improve at home?”. Some homes don’t provide safe areas to perform many of the skills a child desires to, while others have at-home equipment they are able to utilize. Even if your home has limited space and equipment, your child can work on many things that will help them succeed in the gym.
I will share some ideas on how you can allow your child to safely improve at home, while still adhering to any boundaries you set concerning safety. Whether your child is a beginner or training more advanced skills, practicing the basics is always helpful, being that those skills are the building blocks for more difficult ones.
Flexibility
- Splits demonstrate outstanding flexibility. They are used during warmups to stretch the leg muscles, but they are also used to perform many other skills as well: leaps, jumps, kicks. Working on your splits at home is a simple and effective way to improve, without use of much space or risks of injury. Stretching other parts of your body will also lead to skill improvement. The more flexible a gymnast, the greater range of motion their bodies have. You can have your child repeat the stretches that they perform during their class warm-up. Practicing bridges is also a good way to increase back and shoulder flexibility, if your child has the capability of doing so safely.
Strength
- Gymnastics uses most of the muscles in your body and performing skills properly requires certain strength. This is another component of gymnastics that students can work on at home, maybe even alongside a parent or sibling! Basic strength exercises will help children thrive in the sport. Some common ones include push-ups, planks, sit-ups, leg raises/lifts, squats and pull-ups (if a pull-up bar is available).
Balance
- Balance is another key to success in gymnastics, and not just on the balance beam. Learning how to hold one’s weight in different positions takes time and practice, whether it be standing on one leg or upside down in a handstand. Simple ways to improve balance at home can be doing jumps (stretch, tuck, straddle, etc.), turns, scales, and different walks on a flat surface. Practicing walking in a straight line on tip-toes (relevé), while doing kicks and jumps will also benefit your gymnast when training on the balance beam. These skills can be practiced on the floor, outside, or on a balance beam.
Specific Skills
- The skills taught in class are usually the ones a child desires to jump right into at home as well. If a home (and parent) permits - high ceilings, clear spaces and soft flooring - some skills are relatively safe to perform at home. Supervision is suggested when a child is performing any of these skills. Practicing rolls is a good start to training at home; a few ways rolls can be performed are forward, backward, and in a straddle position. Handstands and cartwheels require a bit more space, but can also be practiced outside. “Spiderman handstands” are a great way to work on the skill without the full risk of a freestanding handstand. This drill is performed with a child’s feet up against a wall, the front of the body facing the wall and using straight arms for support.
While some homes provide safe places to practice more complex skills, not all do and that is okay! Strength and flexibility training at home will go a long way in the gym. Repetition is also a large factor in becoming a better gymnast. Anything that can be done to retain skills until the next class is a great way to see quicker improvement.
Confidence is an integral part of gymnastics - this is something that can alter the outlook of students and instill in them the desire to keep working, no matter how difficult a skill seems at first. As a bonus, encouraging confidence and courage requires no physical space at all!
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