The Benefits and Dangers of Gymnastics
There are many different aspects of gymnastics, both good and bad. It is up to you to determine if the positives outweigh the negatives to make the sport worth the effort. Some people believe that the sport is too harmful for the body and that too be good in gymnastics you have to put it ahead of school. Others, like me, believe that gymnastics is one of the only sports that work nearly every muscle and aspect of your body and each individual can choose how much they want to get involved in the sport. I will dive a little deeper into each of these perspectives so you can determine your own opinion on the sport, but I will also provide information on why I think gymnastics is one of the best sports for children to participate in.
Benefits
The overall and most obvious benefits of gymnastics are the ones that have to do with the body. Gymnastics has great skeletal benefits, giving gymnasts greater bone density. Gymnasts also have stronger muscles. Their legs may not be as strong as a soccer player's legs, but they are more well-rounded because the sport does not particularly focus in on one muscle group. Gymnastics also provides flexibility in participants, helping their agility and decreasing the amount of injuries.
Benefits that are often overlooked are the benefits for the mind. Children who are in gymnastics have been found to have better problem-solving skills and longer attention spans than other children who do not do gymnastics. This is because practices are very demanding and teach the child discipline, while also presenting them with struggles that they need to learn to overcome. It is a sport of disciplines, so children will also learn how to follow instructions and demands very well.
Dangers
On the other hand, there are also dangers in the sport of gymnastics that may be holding parents back from getting their child involved. There is great injury risk, especially for the knees, ankles, and wrists. It has one of the highest injury rates for girls if they are training 8 or more hours a week in gymnastics. Some people also argue that practices are too long and demanding for the gymnasts, which causes injuries while also consuming too much time.
Another danger of gymnastics is eating disorders. Gymnasts can go on extreme diets to try to stay small like mos gymnasts are. This can lead to severe eating disorders and stunted growth, both physically and mentally.
My Opinion
As you already know, I am a strong supporter of gymnastics. Gymnastics has phenomenal physical and mental benefits that are easily looked over by injury rates. I have had numerous injuries while in the sport, but it is not like I ever had a life-altering injury. Most of the injuries in this sport are very minor but they are very frequent. Major injuries are just as likely in other sports like lacrosse or soccer. Also, I know that eating disorders can be caused by gymnastics, but I have never seen or heard of this personally in my many years in the sport. I'm sure it happens, but it is not a regular thing and it depends on the individual. If you want to teach your child discipline and give them many opportunities for physical and mental growth, put them in gymnastics.
Benefits
The overall and most obvious benefits of gymnastics are the ones that have to do with the body. Gymnastics has great skeletal benefits, giving gymnasts greater bone density. Gymnasts also have stronger muscles. Their legs may not be as strong as a soccer player's legs, but they are more well-rounded because the sport does not particularly focus in on one muscle group. Gymnastics also provides flexibility in participants, helping their agility and decreasing the amount of injuries.
Benefits that are often overlooked are the benefits for the mind. Children who are in gymnastics have been found to have better problem-solving skills and longer attention spans than other children who do not do gymnastics. This is because practices are very demanding and teach the child discipline, while also presenting them with struggles that they need to learn to overcome. It is a sport of disciplines, so children will also learn how to follow instructions and demands very well.
Dangers
On the other hand, there are also dangers in the sport of gymnastics that may be holding parents back from getting their child involved. There is great injury risk, especially for the knees, ankles, and wrists. It has one of the highest injury rates for girls if they are training 8 or more hours a week in gymnastics. Some people also argue that practices are too long and demanding for the gymnasts, which causes injuries while also consuming too much time.
Another danger of gymnastics is eating disorders. Gymnasts can go on extreme diets to try to stay small like mos gymnasts are. This can lead to severe eating disorders and stunted growth, both physically and mentally.
My Opinion
As you already know, I am a strong supporter of gymnastics. Gymnastics has phenomenal physical and mental benefits that are easily looked over by injury rates. I have had numerous injuries while in the sport, but it is not like I ever had a life-altering injury. Most of the injuries in this sport are very minor but they are very frequent. Major injuries are just as likely in other sports like lacrosse or soccer. Also, I know that eating disorders can be caused by gymnastics, but I have never seen or heard of this personally in my many years in the sport. I'm sure it happens, but it is not a regular thing and it depends on the individual. If you want to teach your child discipline and give them many opportunities for physical and mental growth, put them in gymnastics.
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