Warmups are important before any exercise or activity. They get the blood flowing, activate the muscles and help prevent injury. According to the National Strength and Conditioning Association, warmups need to involve cardiovascular activity for about five to 10 minutes. Gymnastics is a sport that utilizes all of the major muscles in the body, so the warmup needs to involve all of the muscles, and to be dynamic and active. Save the slow, static stretching for after the workouts as a part of the cooldown. Kids have slightly shorter attention spans, so their warmup should be fun and engaging while still preparing the body for gymnastics.
Relay Races
Relay races are a great way to get kids involved and working together. Form lines for teams, and place cones out about 15 yards from the start. Have the first person in each line do an activity to the cone, round the cone, and come back to tag the next person to go. The first team with all their players back wins. Do activities like high knees, butt kickers, side shuffles, skipping and hopping to get their heart rates up. After each race, shuffle the teams slightly so teams are always changing.
Animal Walks
Animal walks are a fun way to place the body in different positions to actively stretch various muscle groups, while simultaneously engaging the muscles. Try crab walks and bear walks to stretch shoulders. Inchworms, which involve starting on your hands and feet and walking your hands out, then walking your feet in, are great for stretching the calves and hamstrings. Also, do bunny hops, kangaroo jumps, horse gallops, frog jumps and Spiderman crawls.
Simon Says
Simon Says is great for instructors because you can get your young gymnasts to do almost anything. Add confusion to Simon Says by having them all do a certain skill, while you perform a different skill. Call out jump skills like tuck jumps, straddle jumps, jump half turns or split jumps, which are all-important dance moves in gymnastics for all genders and levels. In addition, do small skills like full turns, forward rolls, donkey kicks, jumping jacks or single-leg balances.
Mirror Image
Mirror image allows children to use their imagination. Group them by two or three, and have one person perform quick series of activities, while the other person tries to copy their movements, much like looking in a mirror. They can do anything like jumps, rolls, turns or other skills. Have one person be "it" for 30 seconds, then switch so the other child has a chance to lead.
Partner Tag
In groups of two, one person is "it" and has to chase the other person. Set boundaries so the kids are not running all over the place. When the "it" person tags the other, the first person immediately runs in the opposite direction to avoid being tagged again. This exercise is great for warming up and developing agility and speed. Limit the game to one minute, then make them switch so both kids have a chance to participate.
References
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning"; National Strength and Conditioning Association; 2008
- "Advanced Health and Fitness Specialist Manual"; American Council on Exercise; 2009
- Teaching Ideas: PE Warm-up/Cool-down Ideas
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