Ty Schalter - Gymnastics for Fun and Fitness

Published in 2020 by Enslow Publishing, LLC.

101 W. 23rd Street, Suite 240, New York, NY 10011

Copyright 2020 by Enslow Publishing, LLC.

All rights reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced by any means without the written permission of the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Schalter, Ty author.

Title: Gymnastics for fun and fitness / Ty Schalter.

Description: New York: Enslow Publishing, 2020 | Series: Sports for fun and fitness | Audience: K-4. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019013447| ISBN 9781978513396 (library bound) | ISBN 9781978513372 (paperback) | ISBN 9781978513389 (6 pack)

Subjects: LCSH: Gymnastics--Juvenile literature. | Gymnastics for children--Juvenile literature.

Classification: LCC GV461.3 .S33 2019 | DDC 796.44--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019013447

Printed in the United States of America

To Our Readers: We have done our best to make sure all website addresses in this book were active and appropriate when we went to press. However, the author and the publisher have no control over and assume no liability for the material available on those websites or on any websites they may link to. Any comments or suggestions can be sent by email to .

Photo Credits: Gymnastics Research by Bruce Donnola

Cover, p.

Contents

Introduction

H uman beings cant fly, but gymnasts come pretty close. From vaults and tumbling runs to release skills and dismounts, gymnasts bodies can do incredible thingsand gymnasts support each other, express themselves, and have lots of fun along the way.

If youve watched the Summer Olympics, youve seen gymnasts at their best: Men and women performing feats of strength, skill, balance, flexibility, and .

The Olympics, in fact, are where the sport of gymnastics began almost three thousand years ago, in Greece. The original Olympics were a festival celebrating the ancient Greek god Zeus. The Greeks valued physical fitness so much that they held athletic competitions during their festivals as a way to honor their gods. For the Olympic Games, the biggest and most famous competition, the Greeks would even pause all their wars so that the best athletes from all around could compete!

The word gymnastics comes from ancient Greek words meaning exercise and discipline. Today, thats still the foundation of gymnastics. The Olympics remain the most famous competition in the sport.

Olympic-level gymnasts are some of the best athletes in the world. Top-notch strength, speed, and jumping power are required to do the kind of gymnastics skills you see on TV. But thats not all: , balance, and control are no less important for flipping and twisting with perfect form.

Judges score these total, and teammates all-around scores combine to make team scores.

But even if you never stand on a or salute a judge, the sport of gymnastics can help you have fun and get fit. You dont need to be able to jump out of the gym or lift huge weights to get started. You just need you!

CHAPTER 1

Warming Up

S tretching and warming up are important parts of getting ready to do any exercise. By loosening up your muscles and getting your blood flowing, youre more likely to do your best right awayand less likely to get hurt.

In gymnastics, though, stretching and warmups are especially important. Good flexibility can be the difference between just barely doing a skill and doing it really welllike doing a cartwheel with perfectly straight legs instead of bent ones.

Stretching is an important part of gymnastics. It gets your muscles ready for tumbling, jumping, and cartwheels.

Getting Pumped

You dont walk into the gym and start doing gymnastics skills without first getting your muscles loose and heart pumping. If youre on a team getting ready for a , your coach will tell you exactly what warm-ups to do, and when to do them, so youll be just the right amount of ready when competition begins. If you are by yourself, warming up like this will still help you get ready (and get better).