Most of the gymnastic actions happen in very short intervals but the gymnasts performing the acts must have a great deal of muscular flexibility to ensure perfect form. The gymnasts have to be strong and supple in order to get the moves right and also to avoid fatigue and injuries. The various gymnastic activities involve a wide range of muscle use and if the act is to come out perfect all the muscles involved have to be trained to be flexible enough for the activity. The major muscles involved in the gymnastics activity are the upper torso, core muscles, hip muscles, leg muscles, and arm muscles.
A balance between upper and lower body strength should be achieved to perform efficiently. The upper body must also be strong and flexible enough to support the body during flips and rolls in the air, and lift the body when necessary. The legs must be strong enough to perform jumping and flipping and must also be able to provide a strong foot for all the activities. Gymnastics is one of those sports that demands maximum flexibility and thus flexibility exercises are indispensable when it comes to gymnastics.
These muscles have to be prepared for the actions involved in gymnastics and should be made flexible. If the muscles are tight, it will cause straining and might even lead to injuries. The major injuries that are caused due to tight muscles in gymnastics are dislocations, ankle sprains, Plantar Fasciitis (pain in the ligamentous band running along the bottom of the foot, supporting the arch of the foot), Joint pain, muscle strains etc.
There are many gymnastics flexibility exercises that you have to do before beginning gymnastics each time. Some of them are explained below.
Stand with your right hand out with forearm pointing upward. Hold a stick in your right hand behind your elbow. Now with your left hand pull the stick forward. Switch sides and repeat exercise.
Sit down with legs in a “V” position in front of you. Slowly bend your torso towards your opposite knee and then extend your chest out towards the floor in front of you. Hold each position for about 15 seconds and repeat the exercise about 10 times.
Lie down on your back with your knees bent so that your feet are close to your buttocks. Place your hands with palms facing down near each ear and slowly push your hip upward to form an arch. If you are a beginner you can also use your head for extra support.
You can prepare your neck by looking up and down, side to side and then tilting head sideways.
Begin by standing with your feet wide apart. While keeping one leg straight with the toes pointing forward bend the other leg while pointing the toes outwards towards the side. Now bending your knees gently lower your groin downwards towards the ground and rest your hands on the floor.
Flexibility is a key necessity when it comes to gymnastics; some gymnastic activities can be grasped only if you have flexibility while some others, even if you can do them, will look perfect enough only if your body moves fluidly during the performance. The body has to be well balanced, strong and fluid in order for the performance to be perfect. Flexibility, especially in the top levels, aid in the quick grasping of skills and helps one to avoid performing the acts incorrectly.
The two types of flexibility that are commonly necessary in gymnastics are static flexibility and dynamic flexibility. Static stretching refers to the kind of stretching where you hold on to a particular stretch position for a particular period of time. Dynamic stretch refers to the flexibility exercises that involve moving your limbs through your range. Dynamic stretching is performed to relax the muscles and make them capable of moving fluidly.
