Gymnastics

The best decision I’ve ever made was to try my first gymnastics class at the age of 27:)

Me

So, a brief story of me and gymnastics. I’ve always loved it, watching all the competitions, following the gymnasts. But I was ‘too old’ when realised how much I would like to try it. And then I moved to London for work. It felt like a moment to go for something new. I googled ‘Adult gymnastics classes’ and attended my first class the next day after the arrival. With the level of absolute zero.

Since then I moved to a new country, changed cities twice, and I’ve always found my gymnastics class again.

And I can safely say, from my personal experience, that no one is too old, it’s enough to start with level 0, and you will have a monstrous amount of fun! (Unless you’re aiming for the Olympics, that might be a problem:) )

• All the classes for adults I’ve attended are more than just sports groups; they are places where people are trying to learn some pretty cool things together, laughing at the epic fails and cheering one another. Many of my friends come from there, it’s always a very warm and supporting crowd. The atmosphere makes you want to come back again and again.

• It’s a great exercise! I’ve never been as strong, flexible, and coordinated as in these last years doing gymnastics. That training helps tremendously in all the other sports I’ve tried, especially the circus-related ones – aerial hoop/silks/trapeze. ‘Taught’ classes always contain stretching and conditioning (besides the ‘fun’ part).
• You’ll never get bored! There are so many things to try and to learn… The progress is often slow and frustrating, but that enjoyment of finally managing a move makes you forget all those #faceplants!
• No one cares how weak you are at the beginning, whether you can do a handstand or a cartwheel. The point is to learn in and get that strength. Many people in those classes for adults, like myself, start from zero. Have you seen that lady, btw?

It would be fair to list some downsides:

• If you go for it seriously you might expect some injuries. I’ve had my share: sprained ankles, pulled muscles, painful wrists, lower back pain… I also know people who never had any injuries. Lucky bastards:) If you don’t go crazy about it (as I usually do), you should be fine:)
• Progress is often slow and painful. Sometimes it feels like you’ll never get it. But you always do get there in the end. It’s way easier for those who have no fear (which is not me…), some people get everything from the first try. Annoying bastards:)

• It can be physically demanding sometimes. But so much fun!!!

So, it does vary, of course. I’ll give more details for each separate place I’ve attended (see those buttons above). But structure is often close. I’m describing a taught class (some places have open training as well).

It always begins with a warmup. Some places do conditioning at the beginning, some at the end (and somethimes it is brutal:) ). Same with stretching.

I really like it when there are lines of basics after. It’s doing basic stuff, like forward/backward rolls, cartwheels, handstands. My first club (Southwark Gymnastics Club) had it, and it was so great for my level zero:)

And after all of that, a coach (or coaches) will set up stations for different moves (unless you are already cool enough to just go and do stuff) where you pick and build up a move (back/front flips, aerials, front/back walkovers, etc) from the ground.

There’s usually a cool down/stretching at the end.

Remember: a coach is always there to help, to spot, to decide if you are ready to do something. You are not going to go there and do something neck-breaking. Well, not straight away:)))

One more thing: adults are usually taught tumbling/flipping, if you want to do some apparatus (beam, rings, bars) you’ll have to ask. But it’s still possible:)