BEGINNER GYMNASTICS

Before you start, it is important to make sure a qualified coach or tumbling instructor is helping you. The coach will not only provide you with lessons in proper technique, but will also spot you and make sure you don’t hurt yourself.

Once you are with a qualified coach, start your day with a good warm-up and stretching regimen:

• Jog or move around for 5-10 minutes.
• Next, thoroughly stretch your legs, back and arms, holding each position for at least 20 seconds.
• After you have stretched, do a few back bends (also called bridges). You can do a back bend from a standing position or from the ground by putting both your hands and your feet on the ground and arching your back into the air. This will stretch out your back and get you ready for the back handspring.
• Finish warming up with a few round-offs.

To start the back handspring, stand on a mat and properly align your body:

• Stand on the balls of your feet, with your body completely straight.
• Stretch your arms over your head, like you are reaching for the ceiling.
• Keep your wrists firm, head forward, and make sure your arms are slightly touching your ears.

Now comes the fun part. To start the back handspring you need to push off the ground and get ready to jump backwards.

Here is how you do it:

• From the standing position, bend into a sitting posture while transferring your weight from the balls of your feet to your heels.
• At the same time, swing both of your arms down to your hips and slightly round your back in the sitting position. The arm swing and the sitting position must occur simultaneously to create a controlled, fluid movement.
• A powerful arm swing is essential to gain the proper momentum necessary to successfully complete a back handspring.

The jump is an important step in the back handspring, but it is often the scariest. Make sure a coach is spotting you.

Here is how you do it:

• As you lean back into the chair position, swing your arms back up towards your ears and jump backwards. The more powerful your arm swing is, the stronger your backward motion will be.
• It is important to remember to jump backwards and not upwards.
• While jumping backwards, always keep your arms straight. Your arms keep your head from hitting the ground, so it is important to keep them locked out at all times.

After the jump, you will be airborne for just a moment before you land on your hands. The body will be in an arched position, similar to the back bend you practiced before you started. It is very important to keep your body tight in this part of the skill.

To maintain position:

• Once in the air, keep your arms straight and your legs locked.
• Your back will have a slight arch to it, with your hands reaching behind you for the ground.
• When your hands touch the floor, make sure your palms are flat on the ground with your fingers facing your feet.

As you come out of the bridge position, your body will be in a handstand with arms and legs locked tight. In order to get back on your feet in the correct way, you need a strong shoulder push off the ground, also called a block.

• As you push off of the mats with your hands (which is basically a strong shrug of the shoulders), you will be airborne for only a moment before your feet hit the ground.
• Once you block, lift your chest up so that you can land in a standing position.
• Keep your legs and back straight as you land.
• You should end in the same position in which you began with your body in a straight line.