Gymnasts are known to have some the slimmest and toned bodies around. In particular, female competitors have small figures as they have been training since childhood and have strict diets. But, does gymnastics help you to lose weight if you are not training to compete? This depends on your diet and level of exercise. It also depends on whether you are willing to spend a lot of time in the gym.
Gymnastics is usually defined as a moderate calorie-burning exercises meaning that a 150lb person will burn around 300 calories per hour of gymnastics. The same person burns approximately 330 calories from an hour of brisk walking and 450 calories from jogging over the same period of time. This basically means that you would need to spend more time working-out if you wish to lose weight. Also, if you don’t have access to the correct equipment or coaching, then it could prove to be very difficult. Also, you would need to invest in the correct clothing for gymnastics.
Clothing
If you are going to take training seriously, it’s important to have the correct attire. Girls and women are usually require tights and a leotard. There are many types of leotards for gymnastics available and it will likely take some time to find the right one.
Competition clothing is usually long sleeved but most gymnastic centres and gyms allow short-sleeved or sleeved leotards for practice. Some gyms will also allow girls to wear t-shorts and/or shorts.
Long hair must also be tied back and most gyms will allow hair to be tied back in ponytail or another style which keeps hair out of the way. Another accessory is beam shoes. These will help maintain traction and balance on beams and grips.
Getting started
Gymnastics isn’t really something that you can teach yourself. It is possible to research online and what videos but you will really need to be taught by someone who knows what they are doing. You will also require a safe environment to do it in. When looking for a facility, it’s important to consider it’s safety. Are walls padded? Are wall spotters present? Does it provide you with any equipment?
It’s also important to speak to the teachers and coaches. Get and idea of their program for beginners and its also handy to find out if they compete or have competed in the past. You should also find out how many hours are required and the costs.
Once you are happy and a selected a suitable gym/coach, you can get on your way. There is one thing that you should do in your free time to make your lessons easier. That is to work on your flexibility. You can do this even while watching TV. Sit on the floor and attempt to touch your toes in every position that you can . You can pretty much do this in most situations. Remember, it’s not just the legs which require stretching but the entire body. Even people in great shape can get caught off guard by this. For example, many people forget to stretch the back and this is a very important area when it comes to gymnastics.
