How to Stretch Before Gymnastics Class
Gymnastics demands intensive stretching. By the time a gymnast reaches elite levels, she will spend at least half an hour stretching before she begins to practice her routines. Always beginning slowly, the gymnast gradually increases her stretch to accommodate her tricks with flexibility. This keeps her from pulling her muscles and can help you do the same.
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Instructions
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Concentrate on the back and neck. In gymnastics, many tricks depend upon being able to bend the body backwards in an arch. Before you can do that in the air, you must be limber enough to do it on the mat. Work on doing the 'bridge' and walking your feet in until you have a flexible stretch. Roll your head from side to side and from back to front. A gymnast must move his head quickly.
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Limber up those hips. Gymnasts execute split leaps with ease. During stretching before class, they practice doing over-splits. After you do the splits, have a friend carefully pick up your front leg to increase the stretch. Elite gymnasts often have over-splits of 10 inches or more. Practice side-to-side splits also.
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Strengthen those shoulders by stretching them. A gymnast will use her shoulder strength to 'rebound' off the floor during back handsprings and other tricks. She needs a lot of joint flexibility when competing on the uneven bars. Stretch shoulders thoroughly before gymnastics class.
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Lengthen your leg muscles. The splits are great for your hips, but you need to stretch the back of your legs too. Stand about three feet away from a wall. Lean forward and rest both hands on the wall as you step forward, halfway to the wall, with one foot. Keeping your back leg straight and your front knee bent, lean forwards stretching your hamstring.
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Loosen those wrists. A gymnast takes a lot of impact on his wrists as he flips on the floor and hangs on the bars. To prevent an injury during class, stretch your wrists by assuming a push-up position and switching your hands from your palms to the backs of your hands and back again. Sit up and roll both fists around to loosen.
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Tips & Warnings
Injuries can still happen, but you will minimize them by stretching and warming up.
