This week I chose to write about gymnastics because it was once a sport that consumed a big part of my life. In reading many articles and hearing from others I found that many people felt that this sport requires dedication in the amount of training hours. It can really take away from ones social life and the opportunity to focus on multiple sports. In my own experiences this was my reason for quitting. From elementary school to the beginning of high school I would spend countless amounts of hours at the gym almost every night. As I grew older I realized that this was not something that I wanted to continue with and decided to take another path. Writer Eleni Edwards comments that "in order to thrive in gymnastics you must maintain a high level of dedication."Gymnastics is a sport that involves a performance of exercises that require a lot of physical strength, flexibility, agility and coordination." ( new york times). I always found that gymnastics took more time then any other sport I was involved in.
Often times we notice that elite gymnasts are of a certain stature. They are small, slender and have defining muscle activity. Female gymnasts are known to have lighter body masses compared to other athletes and females of the general population. Elite gymnasts are at the increased risk of the adverse effects for growth and maturation in their lifetime. Because this sport requires various stresses and high impacts to the body it directly effects one growth patterns. Gymnastics requires that athletes build up muscle strength, endurance and flexibility at a young age. While these athletes participate in this intense training their muscles begin to develop and its preventing a normal growth spurt because theres so much built up muscle holding it back. The greater the number of years in gymnastics the greater reduction in growth. However this also works to an advantage for these athletes because the smaller the better. Short gymnasts ofter have an advantage of spinning faster while tumbling and getting around easier on the uneven bars. From my own experience I remember watching taller people do the bars and sometimes there heals would hit the low bar or even the ground if they wernt able to hold their body weight.
I like to see people doing this exercise. It's very interesting how they have flexibility with the body. I really admire the people who's dedicate of this sport.
ReplyDeleteI did gymnastics for 5 years when I was younger. It was one of the most intense sports I have ever done and it helped strengthen all of my muscles and increased my flexibility by leaps and bounds. I still see some of the affects of my experiences as a gymnast and wish I had the money/time to get back into it because I have the typical gymnast body type.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting post. I always found gymnastics to be this amazing thing, I would always watch it when the Olympics were on. I had always wanted to try gymnastics when I would younger but chose to play a variety off different sports. Reading this blog made me realize how skilled these girls have to be, especially when they do more than one event.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting post. Gymnastics is tough an demanding sport and your post proves that. I have alot of respect for anyone that has been involved in this sport because it is so difficult and takes alot of time to become the best you can be at it.
ReplyDeleteI like very much this sport is beautiful how the gymnastics can do so much things in one jump. I think that this sport is extreme and it true that if you love doing gymnastic, well its gonna be your life because takes a lot of time of your life. But steel being a wonderlful sport and I love to watch it. Good blog!!
ReplyDelete