7 Gymnastics Moves to Unleash Your Inner Child
(Photos by Travis McCoy/travismccoy.com)
Workouts can be tough and grueling, but as kids we used to play outside, run around, jump on playground equipment and swing on monkey bars without a problem. Why was it fun then? Why is it hard now? How can we change that? It’s about making your workout fun with gymnastics-based exercises. Gymnastics is great because it’s about learning how to control and optimize fundamental movement patterns. Unleash your inner child and let’s start your next workout! Here’d a list of gymnastics moves, ranging from basic to a bit more advanced, that will make any workout new and exciting while still getting you all of the results you want. So find your local gymnastics gym, CrossFit box or an empty nearby playground and get ready to have some fun!
1. Cartwheel
There’s nothing more freeing than cartwheeling through a big, grassy field. So find yourself some room and cartwheel to your hearts content. It’s a great way to let go of daily stresses and just be care-free for a few minutes. HOW TO DO IT: Raise you arms up overhead and propel yourself forward, planting one hand at a time on the ground and moving like a cart’s wheel. As you step, keep your arms locked out and kick with your legs to move your body to complete your cartwheel. Land one foot at a time and stand back up. Do three to five sets of five reps.
2. Somersault
Don’t know how to do a somersault? Just ask any kid you know, and they’ll show you. Kids are fearless, so take a page from their playbook and just go for it (as long as you don’t have any pre-existing injuries that would make this dangerous for you, like a back neck or spine).
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HOW TO DO IT: Tuck your chin towards your chest and focus on lightly rolling along your spine very softly on the floor. Do three to five sets of five rolls.
3. Handstand Walks
If you’re feeling especially kid-like, challenge your friends to see who can walk the longest. HOW TO DO IT: Kick up into a handstand and slowly walk one hand in front of the other – just like you walk with your feet. As you walk in your handstand, think about pushing your hand through the ground on each step. Keep your legs and toes squeezed tight together. Do three to five sets of 10 steps.
4. Hollow Body Rockers
Core strength is essential for any gymnastics workout and for everyday life to prevent injury (it’s not just about those six-pack abs, though those are a nice bonus). This exercise is a great way to build that fundamental strength that you’ll carry with you throughout the rest of the workout. HOW TO DO THEM: Lie on your back and raise your hands and feet several inches off the floor. Engage your abs by pulling your bellybutton in and keeping your body solid and tight from your fingertips to your pointed toes. Rock back and forth from butt to shoulders, maintaining a banana shape the entire time. Do three to five sets of 20 rocks (back and forth equals one rock).
5. One-Armed Cartwheel
As a more advanced version of a standard cartwheel, you’ll need to make sure you can properly do a cartwheel before moving on to this variation. HOW TO DO IT: Perform this move just like a standard cartwheel, but place your first arm down only and push through the floor. Kick with your legs to propel your body to complete your one-arm cartwheel and land one foot at a time. Do three to five sets of five reps.
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6. Inverted Ring Hang
For this exercise, you’ll need to find a set of hanging rings, but most CrossFit boxes now have these. This is also a more intermediate move, so you’ll need significant core, shoulder and leg strength. HOW TO DO IT: Grab hold of the rings and use your core strength to pull your legs up over your head and invert yourself on the rings. Focus on using your arms on this movement. Rotate the rings and engage your lats to assist pulling your legs up towards the rings. For a beginner variation, only lift your feet up as high as you can to build your core strength. Do three to five sets of three reps.
7. Hollow/Arch Tap Swings on Bar
You’ll be using basically the same muscle groups but this time on a bar. It won’t require as much shoulder strength and stabilization (that doesn’t mean none, though), but it does require the same type of core strength. HOW TO DO IT: Jump up, grab the bar and hang. Squeeze your entire body tightly and focus on pressing your chest forward and backward to create the tap swing. You don’t want to swing with your legs. Use your shoulders as the focal point of the swing. Do three to five sets of 10 reps.
The original article “13 Gymnastics Exercises to Unleash Your Inner Child“ appeared on LIVESTRONG.COM.
By PJ Stahl
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