Gymnastics - It's the Sport at Your Fingertips The gymnastics dimension is a wonderful way to find out what you can do when you try. You've got the potential for movement skills, balance, weight transfer, upright and inverted agility, and flexibility - right at your finger - and toe - tips! It's amazing what your body can do when you ask it politely.

"But why would I want to learn these skills?" you ask. "Gymnastics isn't going to make a difference to me because I live on a farm, work in a store, like to hang out with friends, have a monkey named Pete, etc, etc." What you may not see now is that gymnastics can make a difference to your future. You'll be developing lifetime skills that you can apply to different careers, hobbies, or pursuits that go well beyond the world of sports.

Think about it. Firemen use gymnastic-type skills. So do construction workers, search and rescue teams, armed forces personnel, dancers, oilfield workers, and so many others. When you reach way up for a can of beans on the top shelf, guess what? You just did gymnastics!

So Here's the Routine

Gymnastics is about everyday activities for everyday life. The goal of gymnastics is to increase your body awareness and your safe movement in, around, and through obstacles.

If you're at home you'll be creating gymnastics activities with the resources at hand. Can this be done without traditional equipment? Sure! Where did the ideas for traditional apparatus come from if not from the real world of logs, ladders, trees, cliffs, rocks, and fences that provide real life obstacle courses?

So step up to the mat and start working on completing at least seven hours of activity in this dimension. Remember that if you're involved in community programs that include gymnastics lessons, no more than 40 hours can be credited toward the dimension. You're aiming for a variety of experiences to round out your physical education.

Your Coach Awaits You

Being active in gymnastics means your body will be coached in various skills, including:

• basic physical skills and,
• how to apply your basic physical skills.

Links to a list of activities for this dimension.

Remember to talk with your teacher and parents before you choose an activity. Tell them all the factors you have considered to ensure you are safe.

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activities | health benefits | cooperation | do it daily for life