Why Tumbling Classes May Be A Better Choice Than Gymnastics Classes
Posted on: 29 April 2019
If you're looking to sign your child up for a physical activity, you might hear about a local athletic center in your community that has both tumbling and gymnastics classes. Both styles of workout can be good for young children, and it's possible that your child may lean toward gymnastics because of the use of props and equipment including balance bars and parallel bars. You should give some serious thought to tumbling classes, however, which take place on floor mats and don't involve these types of equipment. Here are some reasons that tumbling can be a better choice.
It's Safer
With the right instruction, children shouldn't get injured doing either gymnastics or tumbling. However, accidents can happen, and you may feel more confident that your child will be safer when they take tumbling classes rather than pursues gymnastics. The mere fact that tumbling takes place closer to the ground than gymnastics may give you more peace of mind about this activity. For example, a child in gymnastics who is attempting to cross a balance bar can easily fall off, resulting in an injury. This isn't the case in tumbling, because the participants remain close to the floor the whole time.
There's Less Pressure
Young kids can be highly competitive, and if your son or daughter isn't as athletically inclined as some others in her class, they may put a lot of pressure on themselves to perform in gymnastics. For example, they may initially lack the strength to properly use the parallel bars, but many of their peers may have no trouble doing so. The result can be that your son or daughter tries hard, but is still unable to perform the exercise and feels badly about herself. Introductory tumbling may involve less self-inflicted pressure and will therefore be more enjoyable for your child.
It's Not As Daunting
Your son or daughter may look at gymnastics and tumbling and be excited by the former activity, but also feel as though it's daunting. They may watch a student perform on the rings, for example, and think, "I'll never be able to do that." While the right instruction can help anyone build up to this activity, you want to choose something that your son or daughter won't find daunting. It's possible that they'll be more drawn to tumbling classes because it looks more fun and perhaps a bit easier, too — although it can still pose a good challenge.
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