A gymnast with a passion for the sport cannot contain practice to the gym. A cement curb becomes a balance beam, while a living room's the place for a floor exercise. Practicing gymnastics without the proper equipment, however, can be dangerous. From 1990 to 2005, about 15 percent of gymnastics injuries resulting in emergency room care occurred in the home, according to the April 2008 issue of "Pediatrics." In some cases, having the proper gymnastics equipment at home can prevent injuries, but that doesn't mean you should turn the garage into a minigym.
Importance of Mats
Tumbling mats are the safest and most important gymnastics equipment to have in your own home -- the thicker, the better. Gymnasts of all disciplines use tumbling mats to practice acrobatic and dance skills. Tumbling mats generally fold up for easy storage, and they are one piece of equipment a gymnast never outgrows. Beyond their practical use for the floor exercise, you will need mats if you buy any additional gymnastics equipment, as it is not safe for a gymnast to dismount or, worse, fall from an apparatus onto carpet.
Trampolines and Beams
After tumbling mats, trampolines and beams are the next best options to have in your home, because a gymnast does not outgrow either piece of equipment. Both sexes can benefit from a trampoline, but gymnastics coaches, such as J. Howard of Gymnastics Zone, warn against using a standard backyard trampoline. Ideally, gymnasts should use a built-in trampoline surrounded by mats, similar to the trampolines in gyms.
Female gymnasts can use a low, 4-inch wide practice beam that either attaches directly to the mat via strong, professional-grade fabric fasteners or stands an inch or two above the ground. The beam should be padded, sturdy and surrounded by mats.
Rings and Bars
Many manufactures sell practice rings and unisex bars for home use, but these miniaturized versions will serve a gymnast for only a limited amount of time. Practice bars, especially, have weight and age limits. They're generally intended for children under the age of 10. Practice rings may attach to a bar for very small children or to the ceiling for older children and adults. The instability of the rings can become a safety hazard.
Equipment to Avoid
Some equipment is just not intended for home use. The vaulting table and pommel horse are two apparatuses gymnasts should use only in the gym under coach supervision. Additionally, for the vault, you need a long runway and a springboard, which is not feasible for most homes. A gymnast does not need uneven bars or a horizontal bar at home. These are massive pieces of equipment towering 8 to 9 feet in the air. If a gymnast wants to practice on any of these apparatuses more than her practice schedule allows, she should take additional class sessions or go to an open gym session, usually held on Saturday and Sunday mornings at competitive-level gyms.
References
- "Pediatrics"; Gymnastics-related Injuries to Children Treated in Emergency Departments in the United States, 1990--2005; Shubha Singh, et al.; April 2008
- USA Gymnastics: Artistic Gymnastics Equipment
- Gymnastics Zone; Home Gymnastics Equipment; Coach Howard; January 2011
- GymSupply.com: Gymnasts Only: Home Use Equipment
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