The simple answer to this question is yes, gymnastics can help you do cheerleading. The two activities are very similar. While transitioning from gymnastics to cheerleading requires a few stylistic changes, most gymnasts make the change quite seamlessly and find that their gymnastics training has prepared them for cheerleading in many different ways.
Tumbling
The most obvious activity that gymnastics bring to cheerleading is tumbling. Cheerleaders who have not had their start in gymnastics work hard to master what are basic skills for gymnasts, such as cartwheels, round-offs, and back handsprings. A gymnast transitioning into cheerleading will often be ahead of the game, having already mastered these skills, and she can work on what are considered to be elite-level cheer tumbling skills, such as back tucks and full twisting layouts.
Body Awareness
Cheerleading calls for properly executed skills to achieve the desired effect. In cheerleading, a well-executed, easier skill trumps a sloppy, difficult skill every time. As a result of their training, gymnasts develop a strong amount of body awareness and can to command their body to hold proper form and exhibit coordination for complicated moves. This coordination will give gymnasts a head start in learning to execute cheerleading motions while shouting out words, in coordinating arms motions with a jump, and in making form adjustments while learning new moves. A gymnast can often polish her cheerleading skills much more quickly than a non-gymnast can.
Stunting
Stunting is the part of cheerleading where one or more cheerleaders lifts or tosses another cheerleader into the air. It requires a high amount of athleticism, strength, balance, coordination and flexibility. Gymnasts excel in all of these areas, which makes them successful in all roles of stunting, being a base, top person and spotter. Because of their superb ability to control their body, even gymnasts who are heavier than other cheerleaders are able to succesfully top stunts because of their strong body awareness. Superior balance from events like balance beam and explosive power from vault give them an edge in the more difficult stunts like one-footed balances and basket tosses.
Physical Fitness
A final way that gymnastics helps in cheerleading might seem minor but should not to be overlooked. The physical fitness level of a gymnast is amazingly high. Gymnasts complete massive feats because of a strong emphasis on physical training. Training for gymnastics includes endurance, strength, flexibility, and balance training, all of which are training areas for cheerleaders. The high degree of physical fitness a gymnast possesses in these areas will make her very well suited for cheerleading and will give most gymnasts an edge that will help her excel as a cheerleader.
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