Gymnastics - General

I have been doing gymnastics for a very long time now. I started at the age of seven now I am eighteen and I enjoy the sport just as much. Im not amazing but I have improved which is always good. At the moment I am only looking for an activity to keep me active and socialise with friends. I enjoy gymnastics mainly because there is no pressure to keep going at training sessions for example when playinf football there is only a certain amout of training that can be done then its practice practice practice. And I am not really a team player mainly because im 'scared og the ball' so I dont like to ... more

So what is the big deal with gymnastics?! I have been a gymnast since I was 4 years old and it is the best sport I have tried. It keeps you supple and slim as well as being one of the most impressive and graceful sports to watch. As well as the advantages of keeping you fit and healthy as a child, gymnastics also has been linked to reducing your chances of gaining health problems in later life such as osteoporosis and weight gain. However, there can be downsides to being a gymnast. I have sustained my fair share of injuries in my career from sprained ankles to my worst being a broken wrist ... more

The TV was on, noise was blasting out of it and girls in leotards were twisting and tumbling, it was something that I had never come across before and it was so graceful and unique and energetic. It was Gymnastics. The 2004 Olympics was my introduction to Gymnastics, I was amazed that risk taking movements could be made and I was so excited to watch it and I was so confident to do something like them, gymnasts. Everytime I watched it I would try to copy it and during the adverts I would warm up and I was so focused to be able to do gym moves. People explained to me I needed practise to become ... more

At the age of four I started gymnastics and soon became very good. At it at the age of 8 I was club champion and was the Scottish under nines champion. I felt proud of what I had done. I moved house however when I was 10 and joined a new club who were much stricter and more disciplined. The summer holidays consisted of training for 10 hours a day and sleeping from exhaustion for the rest. When I broke my thumb (nothing to do with gymnastics) they still had me in training, doing sit ups the whole time instead. I finally got into the Scottish squad (training sessions) aged 11 which meant during ... more

When I am not running around after my own children I can very often be found running around after other peoples.For the past 3 years I have coached Gymnastics, both with elite boys, and on a recreational level. If you have read my P... is for Pressure op you will know that my Son James is a great little gymnast and it was through and for him that I got involved. I have been at the gym today, helping to make a video that will be distributed to schools as a teaching aid and I thought while I have a little time to relax now I might tell you a little about the sport and give you a little advice if ... more

...not really nasty, but it's what my Nanna used to say when I turned up happy but exhausted at her house on a Saturday afternoon after 6 hours in the gym. I went to my first gymnastics class when I was 4 years old, and took part in my first competition at age 6. I was hooked and even though I haven't been to a gym class since I was 14, I'm still into it. Women's artistic gymnastics consists of 4 main disciplines : bars, beam, floor and vault. As well as these, some comps include conditioning routines, which is basically a short music-less floor routine which focusses on control. As with many ... more

Gymnastics has been part of my life since 1976, where I watched the wonderful routines of Nadia Comaneci, the Romanian who score seven perfect tens during the Montreal Olympics. I was 6 years old. I started doing gymnastics myself and only gave up training, once I had children of my own. Now my eight year old daughter (named Emilia, after famous Romanian gymnast, Emilia Eberle!) is also a gymnast. I think gymnastics is a great sport to do and to watch, especially as there are several branches of the sport to suit any fan - rhythmics, sports acro, etc. as well as associated sports such as ... more

How sad that Andreea Raducan of Romania was disqualified for taking a cold cure that happened to contain a banned substance. Whilst the team doctor should have known better, a gymnast, who reportedly tested clear of any banned substances after the competition only two days before,was hardly likely to have suddenly felt the need, or needed to cheat for her next performance. The problem arises as to how one is able to combat minor illness and return to your normal physical ability if you aren't even permitted basic medicine for fear of being branded a drugs cheat. The fact that she was also ... more