Importance of Rest in Gymnastics

In order to improve your athletic performance and fitness levels to the extremes, it is critically important to train hard. However, training hard doesn’t mean that you should disregard proper rest and recovery.

Physical activity and exercise is not just a bodily activity, but it also affects the brain, which is partly why it’s essential to consider having proper rest and recovery after performing any form of physical activity.

The importance of being and staying physically active has often been emphasized in our day-to-day lives, and though the significance of exercise in staying healthy is unquestionable, the importance of rest and recovery must also be considered.

An individual’s fitness level is maintained and developed by three primary components: diet, exercise and rest. The latter plays a major role in the overall health and fitness of an individual. It is proven that failing to give your body enough rest to recover properly can hinder and negatively affect your fitness progress.

Why Do We Need To Rest?

According to a research conducted by the University of New Mexico, rest and recovery are very critical to achieve optimal exercise performance and overall improvement. During a physical activity, the body goes through physical and mental strain, and thus needs an adequate amount of rest in order to function at its peak performance. 

Making sure that you're getting a good night's sleep is as critical as having an intense amount of training. Gymnastics is a physically-demanding activity, and without enough sleep, your body will not be able to function and perform at its best. So, always make sure that you're getting enough rest after every training session.

Benefits of Rest

Rest is an essential part of physical fitness, and by incorporating a sufficient amount of rest in your fitness routine, you’ll be surprised with all the benefits you can get from it. 

Oftentimes, in most kinds of physical activities, especially those sports which are highly competitive – such as gymnastics – pushes a person to overtrain and go beyond their limits. Their mindset is to train as hard as possible in order to progress ahead of their competitors. But that kind of attitude is counterproductive, as you’re depriving your body with the rest it needs to recover properly. 

“Working out, especially resistance training, breaks your body tissues down. In fact, resistance training breaks down muscles causing microscopic tears,” Wynter said. Rest days allow your muscles, nerves, bones, and connective tissue time to rebuild.”

By allowing your body to rest, you’re giving your body a chance to recover and thus, allowing your body to perform better.

To be able to achieve the peak of your fitness level, you must ensure that your training program is carefully planned and polished to fit your fitness goals. Learn more about health and fitness by regularly reading our educational blogs and articles. 

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Baku To Host FIG World Cup; VTB Extends Sponsorship to FIG

Azerbaijan’s capital city, Baku, is getting ready to welcome gymnastics fans and elites at the FIG World Challenge Cup AGF Trophy 2016, to be hosted in the country for the first time early this year.

The said competition will be held at the National Gymnastics Arena from 19th to 21st of February 2016.

A total of 146 participants representing 19 different countries are expected to compete in the capital city of Baku.

Taking place at the National Gymnastics Arena, which accommodated six gymnastics disciplines during the 1st Baku European Games, the most anticipated competition will involve 46 men and 22 women gymnasts to fight for the medals.

Several notable gymnasts, comprised of the Japanese three-time World Champion (Floor and Team event) Kenzo Shirai, Japan’s Pommel Horse World bronze medallist Kaya Kazuma, Germany’s two-time Olympic silver medallist Marcel Nguyen, Israel’s European Floor Champion Alexander Shatilov and other prominent gymnasts will showcase their breathtaking performance at the Baku World Cup.

Prominent female gymnasts such as Uzbekistan’s European Champion Oksana Chusovitina, Brazil’s Youth Olympic Games Floor Champion Favia Lopes Saraiva, and three-time World Cup series champion Dorina Boeczoego will also participate in the said competition.

The most sought after gymnasts would definitely be Oleg Stepko, who won the bronze medal at the Parallel Bars event of the World Championships, and was the only Azerbaijani gymnast who took home five medals at the 1st European Games, as well as his compatriot Petro Pakhnyuk, who won the bronze medal in a team competition along with Stepko at the 2015 Baku Games.

The representative of the Women’s Azerbaijani Gymnastics would be the World Challenge Cup silver medalist Kristina Pravdina, along with Marina Nekrasova, Yuliya Inshina and Mariia Smirnova.

Aside from the upcoming Artistic Gymnastics World Cup, the country will also host a World Cup series in Trampoline Gymnastics on 5th and 6th of March 2016.

Baku was also assigned to host the European Championships in Trampoline Gymnastics in 2018.

VTB Bank Extends Sponsorship to FIG

Russia’s VTB Bank, which since 2009 has been a major sponsor of the sport of Gymnastics, has extended its contract with the International Federation of Gymnastics for 2016.

FIG’s President Bruno Grandi and VTB’s First Deputy Chairman and Vice President of FIG Vasily Titov sealed the agreement last Friday during a meeting at the FIG Headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The agreement includes a donation of US$1 million, of which would be used as developmental funds for the continental unions.

"VTB has the pleasure of once more renewing our sponsorship with the FIG and thereby supporting gymnastics, one of the three major Olympic sports," said Titov.

"We are very happy to be able to contribute to the development of this beautiful sport around the world."

"As I begin my final year as head of the FIG, I am delighted to see our loyal partner confirm its support," Grandi said.

"This contribution is targeted toward the development of sport on all five continents, which is excellent news for our continental unions."

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2015 Fruitful Year for Azerbaijani Gymnastics

Azerbaijani gymnastics had a very productive and fruitful year in 2015, as the country took home a total of 157 medals during that year.

Rhythmic gymnastics appeared to be the most successful sport, obtaining a total of 81 medals. Men’s artistic gymnastics comes second with 32 medals followed by acrobatic gymnastics who took home a total of 15 medals. Meanwhile, women’s artistic gymnastics scored 11 medals, and finally, trampoline gymnastics and aerobic gymnastics achieved a total of 9 medals each.

18-year-old Azerbaijani rhythmic gymnast Marina Durunda has become the most fruitful athlete in the country in 2015, ending the year with a total of 22 medals. Just one medal was in the account of her compatriot Zhala Piriyeva and a gymnast Oleg Stepko, who was the champion of the First European Games.

Without any doubt, the very first European Games, the Baku 2015 European Games, was the most meaningful competition of 2015.

Oleg Stepko was the first ever Azerbaijani gymnast to score five medals in a historical sport festival such as this. One of the medals he won was a gold medal on the parallel bars. Additionally, he won another medal in a team competition along with Eldar Safarov and Petro Pakhnyuk.

Azerbaijani’s Ilya Grishunin took home the bronze medal in the trampoline gymnastics event, while Marina Durunda achieved the silver medal with her ribbon performance in Rhythmic Gymnastics.

Overall, it seems like ribbon became Marina’s most valuable 'asset' in 2015. She earned bronze in a ribbon exercise under the “Fantasy” musical composition by a well-known composer Uzeyir Hajibeyli at the European Championships.

For the first time, the Azerbaijan acrobatic gymnasts successfully captured medals at the European Age Group Competitions. The men’s pair of Seymur Jafarov and Murad Akbarov grabbed the silver medal, while the mixed pair comprised of Aghasif Rahimov and Nurjan Jabbarli took home the bronze.

The year 2015 was made memorable by the debut of the national gymnasts on the world arena. Therefore, Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation brought its plan to completion regarding the development of gymnastics disciplines, and now, all seven gymnastics disciplines recognized by the FIG are being promoted in the country.

Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev presented a flat to a two-time Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships prize-winner, Gulzum Shafizada.

The Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation was recognized as the best federation and the National Gymnastics Arena, an iconic 9,000-seater facility designed to hold all seven gymnastics disciplines, was recognized as the best Arena by the Azerbaijan Youth and Sports Ministry.

Furthermore, the 6th General Assembly of the Azerbaijani Federation was held in Baku in December, where Azerbaijan’s First Lady, president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva was re-elected as its president.

Altay Hasanov will now take in charge as the Vice-president, while Rauf Aliyev and Rafig Beybutov will maintain their positions as Executive Committee members. Mariana Vasileva was appointed as the new member of the Committee.

Currently, the Azerbaijan gymnasts are getting ready for 2016, which appears to be a tough year ahead. The athletes will compete in various international events such as the European and World Championships, and most significantly, Durunda and Stepko will fight for an Olympic medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.

The Rhythmic Gymnastics athletes and Artistic gymnastics participants will still have a chance to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics as Baku will host three World Cup series including Artistic Gymnastics in February, Trampoline Gymnastics in March, and Rhythmic Gymnastics in July.

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Benefits of Strength Training for Kid Gymnasts

Strength training is the act of using free weights, weight machines, resistance bands, or even own body weight in order to build or strengthen muscles. Due to resistance, the muscles will be forced to work harder, causing micro tears to occur in the muscle fibers. Combined with proper nutrition and adequate rest, this will result to a bigger, stronger muscles.

With strength training, children could develop healthier bones, joints and muscles. By following a carefully designed and supervised program, it can help them improve endurance, sports performance, and overall fitness level. Taking part in a strength training program can even help hasten recovery and prevent muscle and joint-related injuries.

Incorporating a strength training program could be very helpful for gymnastics athletes, as stronger muscles would be beneficial for them to perform better in their sport. Most gymnastics activities involve weight-bearing exercises (for example, the pommel horse). With an adequate amount of muscle strength and endurance, these exercises would be a piece of a cake.

Taking part in a strength training program can also help strengthen the ligaments and tendons that support your muscles and bones. It could also help to increase the strength and density of your bones, which will not only be beneficial for your sports performance, but also for your day-to-day activities.

The benefits of strength training may go beyond physical health. Strength training, when done on a regular basis, can help boost one’s self-confidence. As kids grow physically stronger, it can help them boost their sense of self worth and self esteem.

Kids should not lift weights that are too heavy as doing so might increase the risk of having an injury. Most gymnastics for kids participants haven’t yet reached the age of puberty, which means their bodies should not be subjected to too much trauma. Doing so could have an adverse effect on their growing bones, muscles and tendons.

The goal of strength training in gymnastics for kids is not to bulk up (or build bigger muscles). The objective here is to boost muscle strength, endurance and efficiency. These qualities would help the kids perform better in sports, or in any physical-related activities.

Since most of the participants are all young athletes, it is not a good idea to let them strength train on their own. It is important to have them supervised by a professional trainer to avoid mishaps and injury.

Strength training exercises should first be taught without the use of any resistance at all. Once proper form and technique is mastered, the child could gradually add small amounts of resistance (weights, body weight or resistance bands) to further develop strength. As the kids get older and stronger, they can start adding more weights to promote stronger, healthier bones and muscles.

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USA Gymnast Simone Biles Aims for Olympic Gold

Simone’s mother, Nellie Biles, always knew where to find Simone whenever her daughter is missing. If 6-year-old Simone wasn’t performing back flips on their backyard, she probably might be playing on the trampoline with her two older brothers. There was even a moment that Simone ventured into their front yard – and believing that her parents wasn’t watching through their office window – she climbed the 4-foot mailbox and performed back tuck onto the grass below.

“Simone was a daring girl; she would do anything,” her mother, Nellie says. “If her brothers told her she couldn’t do something or challenged her, she would prove to them that she could.”

Twelve years later, Simone Biles -- now 18 years old -- still have a prosperous career as a professional gymnast. In August, she has once again emerged as the top U.S. gymnast after winning a third-consecutive national gymnastics title. Following that event, she had also won her third consecutive world gymnastics championship title, making her the first female gymnast to win three consecutive world titles.

However, despite all the success that has come across her way, the 4’8 ft teen gymnast is still far from the end of her journey. Next summer, Biles will fly to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where she will compete at the 2016 Rio Olympics to win another all-around gymnastics title. Being able to do so would fulfill her childhood dream and would solidify her place as the most successful gymnast in the U.S. sports history.

When Simone Biles was young, she had an unexpected opportunity to show off her skills in public.

Due to a bad weather, Simone’s daycare cancelled their field trip to a farm, and they visited a local gymnastics gym instead. After watching the athletes perform gymnastics stunts, Simone fearlessly (and flawlessly) started to imitate the older athletes she had been watching.

The coaches that were watching was impressed with Simone’s ability, and just a week later, her gymnastics career officially began.

“At a very young age, Simone had endless energy from the time she woke up to when she would go to bed,” Nellie says. “She loved life, period.”

Biles have adapted quickly to the gym. At the beginning, Simone Biles had been training for 16 hours per week, and each year she progressively added hours to her training schedule. Even as her training has increased in difficulty, she has still maintained her lively and bubbly attitude, focusing on all of the positives that would arise from all of her hard work in the gym. 

“At times the lifestyle was overwhelming,” Biles said. “But I knew that’s what I needed to do to get better and achieve my goals.”

Years later, the American artistic gymnast has improved and grew physically stronger. Soon enough, she was already performing some of the most difficult skills in gymnastics. 

Biles’s skill level was pretty outstanding, already making a quite good impression on two gymnastics legends – Former Olympic all-around champion Mary Lou Retton and Former Olympian Shannon Miller. Retton said that Biles was “the most talented gymnast” she had ever witnessed, recognizing her as “unbeatable.”. Miller agreed and said, “Simone is the one everyone is trying to catch up with,”. “She takes these very intricate, demanding skills and makes them look so incredibly easy.”

“Simone is able to go seamlessly from the power event, like vault or floor,” Miller said. “And then stay on that four-inch wide beam and be completely steady.”

“The skills Simone is performing are mind-boggling,” says Miller. “Every four years, we think this is it. You can’t add another flip, you can’t add another twist, and then they do. Simone is spearheading that right now.”

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Get Fit While You're Young!

Today, we will discuss the importance of getting fit and healthy while you’re young. Eating healthy and getting in shape at a young age is more than just boosting your attractiveness. Let us provide you a handful of reasons to start your fitness journey right now!

You’ll Develop Healthy Habits

There’s a great deal of truth with the saying that ‘any habits formed during childhood are often carried through their adulthood’. Starting to practice healthy habits like eating healthy, getting enough sleep and exercise, and taking part in physical activities such as gymnastics for kids while you’re young gets you on the right track early on. These types of healthy practices can help you avoid suffering from certain illnesses and diseases like high blood pressure and heart disease in your adulthood.

Forming good habits while you’re young “will be easier than if you’re trying to develop them when you’re in your 30s, 40s, or 50s,” says John Rowley, a certified personal trainer. “At that point you may have to change your whole life around to implement them. Another reason to adopt healthy habits early on is so you can apply them to other areas of your life. That’s what Arnold Schwarzenegger did. The tools he learned in the gym helped build his movie career, and eventually got him into government.” 

Being Physically Fit Leaves Better Impression

We might not always admit it, but most of the time, we judge people based on their looks. Say for example, you see someone with a slumped shoulders and a big tummy. Do you see him as someone who is hardworking and confident? Most likely, no.

Building a leaner and healthier body gets you prepared for the future. Your appearance is the first thing that your potential employer will notice, and having a fit body will make an impression that you’re disciplined, and is able to get the work done.

“Whether you’re in a suit or plumber’s uniform, being lean, fit, and in shape gives off the impression that you’re disciplined, hard-working, and intelligent,” said Rowley “If you’re in your 20s and just getting out of school, it helps your career by telling people that you have the ability to get the job done.”

Being Healthy Makes You More Productive

According to a research published in the journal ‘Physiology & Behavior’, having bad eating habits such as consuming too much sugary and processed foods leads to a lower energy level, leaving the subjects feeling tired and lazy. Also, according to a study published in the journal ‘Population Health Management’, any unhealthy habits outside of work have a direct impact on the employees’ productivity loss.

So, if you want to be successful, whether it be in life or in gymnastics, you need to keep yourself healthy to maintain high levels of energy and focus. Unhealthy habits obviously won’t get you there.

You’ll Develop Higher Levels of Confidence

Eating healthy and exercising regularly has a direct impact on boosting your confidence level. Simply performing basic exercises such as walking or running for 20-30 minutes is enough to reduce stress and anxiety, which will positively impact your mood. Also, being fit and in a good shape makes you more attractive, directly affecting your sense of self-worth.

“Typically, psychology will follow physiology,” Rowley says. “If you’re not feeling confident, start moving your body in a confident way. And when you’re fit with strong muscles, you move with confidence. Again, it’s about taking the lessons learned inside the gym and using them in other areas of their lives.” 

You’ll Learn to Set Goals

As mentioned in our other article, any kind of sport, especially gymnastics, is not something that you can rush. Being an active participant of these kinds of sports teaches you that unless you have superhuman powers, you need to set smaller, attainable goals to be able to effectively reach your goals. 

“Those structured goals that you use in the gym where you’re doing something on a regular basis to get a predictable result can be a training routine for life,” he says. “Find habits that are working for others, whether it’s a schedule or training routine, and use them yourself. It’s a very effective way to achieve success.” 

Those are just some of the benefits you can get if you’ll start your fitness journey at an early age. It is never too late to become physically fit! Learn gymnastics for kids with us. Enroll today at Bianka Panova Sport and Art Academy and experience a high quality gymnastics training :)

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American Rhythmic Gymnast Makes History in the Sport

When Laura Zeng gets ready to compete, the “small-yet-terrible” American gymnast takes it very seriously. As she approaches the stage, her eyes stern and lips pursed and she walks with full confidence and swag. Then, she lifts up her right hand to salute the judges and the audience as she takes her position on the carpet. 

         

After that, she starts to widen her eyes and display the beauty of her smile, revealing the energy and excitement of all her performances, from a smooth and flawless performance with the hoops to a lively samba with the clubs.

Zeng is currently acknowledged as the best American rhythmic gymnast, with a lot of remarkable achievements at the young age of 16. Zeng secured the eight spot in the all-around event finals of the 2015 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships last September, the best all-around finish for an American gymnast. Her historic world all-around finish earned her country a spot in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

The USA rhythmic gymnastics team also secured an Olympic spot and will be the first American rhythmic team to make it to the Olympics.  Zeng and her other teammates trains at North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center in Deerfield.

The administrators of the USA gymnastics hope that the successes attained by Laura Zeng and the American gymnastics team in the recently held World Championships is the start of USA’s dominance in a sport long dominated by Eastern European gymnasts. During her training, Zeng said that to think that she had really earned a spot in the Olympics was “overwhelming”.

"I knew I had all these opportunities at this competition to reach those goals. I knew it was all on me," Zeng said. "So to be able to not let myself down and really go for it, it made me proud."

Artistic gymnastics is insanely famous among American audiences, mainly because of the world-renowned figures such as Olga Korbut, Nadia Comaneci and Mary Lou Retton. In comparison, rhythmic gymnastics barely possesses the same popularity and is a sport that is often misunderstood.

"When you say you do rhythmic gymnastics, people block the 'rhythmic' part," said Kris Shaldybin, 18, of Highwood, a member of the U.S. team. "They're like, 'Oh, do you like the beam?'"

For those who don’t know:

Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport that uses hoop, ball, clubs and ribbon as the apparatus in their routines. (The use of rope was discontinued for seniors). The athletes earn points by combining balances, leaps and jumps, pivot turns, dance steps and basic acrobatics while maneuvering, tossing and catching the equipment with the different parts of their body. Each performance can earn up to 20 points, and they are scored based on execution and the difficulty of their routine. Rhythmic gymnastics athletes can compete as individuals or as a group.

In a group performance, each of the five team members will hold an apparatus, synchronize their routines and toss their apparatus with each other. The different teams will perform two routines with varying combinations of apparatus. During the Olympic season, groups will perform with five ribbons in one routine, and with two hoops and six clubs in the other.

"At first glance, people just think it's twirling with a ribbon," Zeng said. "But I don't think they understand how hard it is to get that routine done. It takes so much work to master the equipment, to make it a part of you, and to be able to do all those elements with musicality. It's so many things happening at once."

Zeng was originally studying Chinese dancing, but was later introduced to rhythmic gymnastics by her friend when she was just 7 years old.

"I was drawn to the performance aspect, as I was a dancer and I loved performing for the audience," Zeng said. "And the musicality and being able to express myself while also being able to do equipment handling also really appealed to me."

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