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A History of Gymnastics: From Ancient Greece to Modern Times | Scholastic.

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The sport of gymnastics, which derives its name from the ancient Greek word for disciplinary
exercises, combines physical skills such as body control, coordination, dexterity, gracefulness,
and strength with tumbling and acrobatic skills, all performed in an artistic manner. Gymnastics
is performed by both men and women at many levels, from local clubs and schools to colleges
and universities, and in elite national and international competitions.

History

Gymnastics was introduced in early Greek civilization to facilitate bodily development through a
series of exercises that included running, jumping, swimming, throwing, wrestling, and weight
lifting. Many basic gymnastic events were practiced in some form before the introduction by the
Greeks of gymnazein, literally, "to exercise naked." Physical fitness was a highly valued attribute
in ancient Greece, and both men and women participated in vigorous gymnastic exercises. The
Romans, after conquering Greece, developed the activities into a more formal sport, and they
used the gymnasiums to physically prepare their legions for warfare. With the decline of Rome,
however, interest in gymnastics dwindled, with tumbling remaining as a form of entertainment.

Modern Gymnastics

In 1774, a Prussian, Johann Bernhard Basedow, included physical exercises with other forms of
instruction at his school in Dessau, Saxony. With this action began the modernization of
gymnastics, and also thrust the Germanic countries into the forefront in the sport. In the late
1700s, Friedrich Ludwig Jahn of Germany developed the side bar, the horizontal bar, the parallel
bars, the balance beam, and jumping events. He, more than anyone else, is considered the
"father of modern gymnastics." Gymnastics flourished in Germany in the 1800s, while in Sweden
a more graceful form of the sport, stressing rhythmic movement, was developed by Guts Muth.
The opening (1811) of Jahn's school in Berlin, to promote his version of the sport, was followed
by the formation of many clubs in Europe and later in England. The sport was introduced to the
United States by Dr. Dudley Allen Sargent, who taught gymnastics in several U.S. universities
about the time of the Civil War, and who is credited with inventing more than 30 pieces of
apparatus. Most of the growth of gymnastics in the United States centered on the activities of
European immigrants, who introduced the sport in their new cities in the 1880s. Clubs were
formed as Turnverein and Sokol groups, and gymnasts were often referred to as "turners."
Modern gymnastics excluded some traditional events, such as weight lifting and wrestling, and
emphasized form rather than personal rivalry.

Modern Competition

Men's gymnastics was on the schedule of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, and it has
been on the Olympic agenda continually since 1924. Olympic gymnastic competition for women
began in 1936 with an all-around competition, and in 1952 competition for the separate events
was added. In the early Olympic competitions the dominant male gymnasts were from Germany,
Sweden, Italy, and Switzerland, the countries where the sport first developed. But by the 1950s,
Japan, the Soviet Union, and the Eastern European countries began to produce the leading male
and female gymnasts.

Modern gymnastics gained considerable popularity because of the performances of Olga Korbut
of the Soviet Union in the 1972 Olympics, and Nadia Comaneci of Romania in the 1976 Olympics.
The widespread television coverage of these dramatic performances gave the sport the publicity
that it lacked in the past. Many countries other than the traditional mainstays at the time the
USSR, Japan, East and West Germany, and other Eastern European nations began to promote
gymnastics, particularly for women; among these countries were China and the United States.

Modern international competition has six events for men and four events for women. The men's
events are the rings, parallel bars, horizontal bar, side or pommel-horse, long or vaulting horse,
and floor (or free) exercise. These events emphasize upper body strength and flexibility along
with acrobatics. The women's events are the vaulting horse, balance beam, uneven bars, and
floor exercise, which is performed with musical accompaniment. These events combine graceful,
dancelike movements with strength and acrobatic skills. In the United States, tumbling and
trampoline exercises are also included in many competitions.

Teams for international competitions are made up of six gymnasts. In the team competition each
gymnast performs on every piece of equipment, and the team with the highest number of points
wins. There is also a separate competition for the all-around title, which goes to the gymnast
with the highest point total after performing on each piece of equipment, and a competition to
determine the highest score for each individual apparatus.

Another type of competitive gymnastics for women is called rhythmic gymnastics, an Olympic
sport since 1984. Acrobatic skills are not used. The rhythmic gymnast performs graceful,
dancelike movements while holding and moving items such as a ball, hoop, rope, ribbon, or
Indian clubs, with musical accompaniment. Routines are performed individually or in group
performances for six gymnasts.

Scoring

Gymnastic competitions are judged and scored on both an individual and a team basis. Each
competitor must accomplish a required number of specific types of moves on each piece of
equipment. Judges award points to each participant in each event on a 0-to-10 scale, 10 being

perfect. Judging is strictly subjective; however, guidelines are provided for judges so that they
can arrive at relatively unbiased scores.

Usually there are four judges, and the highest and lowest scores are dropped to provide a more
objective evaluation. Gymnasts try to perform the most difficult routines in the most graceful
way, thus impressing the judges with their mastery of the sport.
The benefits of Gymnastics for all ages

Gymnastics is widely renowned as a sport that can improve overall fitness, strength, balance and
body control (1), as well as helping to improve athletic performance in any other sport.

However, what many people dont realise is that extended participation in gymnastics classes
also provides many additional cognitive and psychological benefits that will continue to benefit
an individual throughout their life. These include:

Social interaction and discipline;


Improved mental focus and concentration;
Education and an understanding of physics;
Flexibility, balance and co-ordination;
Numerous health benefits.

Sound good? Read on to find out more.


Gymnastics and discipline

Gymnastics provides a unique and valuable social education and experience. It provides an ideal
opportunity to learn about teamwork; sportsmanship; fair play and dedication. The time required
to master the fundamental skills requires a great amount of patience, dedication, perseverance
and planning. Regular gymnastics therefore helps people learn to work hard for objectives that
can take years to achieve.

In the modern world of quick-fixes, instant communication and fast food there is a need for
young people to develop their character using methods of delayed gratification and gymnastics
is a perfect activity for such development (2).
Gymnastics and cognitive functioning

Participation in gymnastics does not only offer physical gains; it is beneficial for improving
concentration and mental focus - an important aspect of anyones life. Studies show that there is
a particularly significant relationship between physical activity and cognitive functioning in
children (3) and with gymnastics covering such a diverse area, cognitive application is important
throughout the entire scope of activities.

From a young age children are encouraged to use play to build upon their understanding of how
their body works. The use of gymnastic equipment allows faster development of this process
through interaction. Both children and coaches are encouraged to use their imagination, act out
situations and develop relationships within the sport. By training the body to perform
independently as well as interacting with static equipment, the ability for faster development of
spatial awareness and body control is achieved. Gymnastics allows children the chance to think
for themselves, to stimulate their imaginations and to solve problems safely (4).

Children will also experience better hand-eye coordination and improve various communication
skills. And as well as taking enjoyment from participation, gymnastics provides a way for young
people to test their mettle against themselves and others. Gymnastics can therefore provide
opportunities for physical development, character development and education that are hard to
find anywhere else (2).
Gymnastics and education

Education is perhaps the most important part of gymnastics. When an activity is naturally
orchestrated to provide participants with unique and valuable learning experiences, it serves the
participants better than any book, television show, or website. As time progresses, noticeable
benefits in performance provide individuals with a high level of self-motivation and allow further
enjoyment and progression within the sport. This pursuit of success indicates a "healthier"
outlook on competition, an improvement in self esteem and an understanding of the importance
to function independently and be self-reliant (2).

One of the most interesting elements of the activities involved in gymnastics is that the gymnast
can experience a variety of effects in practice rather than just in theory. For example, physicists
discuss the principle of conservation of angular momentum; the gymnast experiences it. The
physics teacher may discuss moment of inertia and its relation to angular momentum, but the
gymnast can see and feel this while performing skills. The richness of such experiences goes far
beyond reading about them in a book. Recently, a National Science Foundation grant has used
gymnastics as a means of teaching fundamental physics to students (2) for this very reason.
Gymnastics and co-ordination

Flexibility is a big factor in gymnastics. In order to achieve the various positions needed to
perform moves, suppleness is of vital importance. Increasing flexibility can also be an effective
aid to the reduction of injury, preventing people from forcing a limb to an injurious range of
motion. By learning movements and combining them in a routine, the gymnast can attain greater
flexibility and greater control of the body.

Gymnastics can also improve co-ordination. Gymnasts do not react with as large a "startle
response" to sudden imbalances as non-gymnasts. By applying this conditioning outside the
sport, people become better equipped to avoid hazardous situations by quickly identifying them
and naturally correcting body alignment when walking, standing or jumping etc. This therefore
means that gymnasts can tolerate larger disturbances to their posture because they have
become more familiar with these positions (2).
Gymnastics and health

Gymnastics moves themselves are designed on a progressive scale to allow further development
to make them harder and more intricate. With each level achieved through suitably planned
training, participants are able to improve their joint health, maintain muscular development and
improve cardiovascular fitness.

Long-term use of weight bearing activities such as gymnastics can also provide a clear benefit in
age-related functional decline and bone loss (5), helping to reduce the risk of osteoporosis. And
because it helps burn fat, a regular workout such as gymnastics also contributes to weight
management and in turn, healthy cholesterol levels and blood pressure levels.
Conclusion

If youre still not convinced, I have saved possibly the most persuasive benefit of gymnastics till
last. Its really good fun! Learning how to tumble, flip, swing, and come as close to self-powered
flight as possible is anything but boring. There is always another step to learn; it is possible to
learn something new every single class you attend. A regular workout also releases endorphins
(the happiness chemicals that improve mood)(6).

The Phases of the Gymnastic Program


Gymnastics is a complex sport. Both male and female gymnasts must have adequate strength,
power, flexibility, balance and artistry to successfully compete in every apparatus. To accomplish
their goals, gymnasts train diligently for years. The different phases of a gymnastics program
help gymnasts improve their skills, avoid injury and build up their physical condition.
Warm Up

Every gymnastics training program should begin with a warm-up to avoid injuries during practice.
The gymnasts on the United States National Team, for example, jump rope or jump up and down
on the floor for about five minutes to start their workout. Then, they perform head and wrist rolls,
shoulder circles, arm swings, trunk twists, foot stretches and different running exercises. All of
these moves prepare the athletes' bodies to work on more difficult skills.
Flexibility

After adequately warming up, gymnasts must work on their flexibility. You should never stretch
cold muscles, since you could risk an injury. During this phase of practice, you should practice
your side splits, center split and back bridge. You must also stretch your hamstrings, groin,
quads, shoulders, calves and wrists. All of this will enable you to move your body with more ease
as you perform your gymnastics routines.
Strength Training

Gymnastics requires an incredible amount of strength. You can build muscle and become more
powerful through conditioning and other strength-training exercises. For example, the gymnasts
on the U.S. National Team perform a series of crunches, jumps and V-ups. You can also use
dumbbells and barbells, although you should focus more on repetitions than weight. Younger
gymnasts should only lift weights under supervision to prevent accidents.
Skills

After working on strength and flexibility, gymnasts finally start practicing their competitive skills.
Women train on the vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise, while men perform on
the vault, floor exercise, parallel bars, horizontal bar, pommel horse and still rings. Additionally,
both can also tumble on the trampoline, tumbling track or flip into the foam pit, especially when
learning new, difficult skills.
Dance

Many female gymnasts also devote part of their training program to dance. This is because
routines on the balance beam and floor exercise must incorporate dance movements. Dance will
improve your body alignment and teach you to have more control over every part of your body,
which will then better your form and reduce the risk of injuries.

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