Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Gymnastic
Gymnastic
Gymnastics
Objectives:
Gymnastics is one of the most valuable areas in physical education because of its total fitness value. It
deals with the different movements whether in place or in different directions, skills on the floor, on the balance
beam, on the bars and on the vault. Activities in the form of stunts, tumbling and pyramid building give fun and
enjoyment to an individual.
Activities in gymnastics help develop strong, healthy and shapely bodies. It helps an individual gain
confidence, determination and discipline. Gymnastics activities also improve poise, posture and coordination of
movement of an individual.
History of Gymnastics
Gymnastics as a sport activity has been around for over 2000 years. It is one of the oldest Olympics
sports, and has always been part of the ancient, as well as the modern Olympics games. The term “gymnastics”
is derived from the Greek word “gymnos,” meaning naked. Gymnasium, originally an area for physical
training, has been a school for training both the mind and the body.
Johann Basedow (1724-1790) – was a German educator who started a program for total reform of the
educational system. According to Basedow, the principal goal of education is to prepare students for a happy,
patriotic life of service to the community. For Basedow, games manual work in the garden and in the shop,
physical training and hiking are the activities appropriate to youth.
Johann Guts Muths (1759-1839) was the “Great Grandfather of Gymnastics.” He wrote the book “Gymnastics
for the Young” published in 1973. The book becomes the manual for physical education teachers in several
countries for many generations now.
Freidrich Ludwig Jahn (1778-1852) – was considered as the Turnvater or the ”Father of Gymnastics”. He
invented the parallel bars, the rings, the balance beam, the horse, and the horizontal bar, which became
standard equipment for gymnastics
Franz Nachtegall (1772-1847) – started the first school for training gymnastics teachers.
Per Henrik Ling of Sweden (1776-1839) – invented the stall bars and the vaulting box. He was the first to
appreciate the corrective value of gymnastics.
Adolf Spiess (1810-1852) – introduced marching and freehand exercise with music.
Dr. Dudley Sargeant (1849-1924) – was the first American contributor to gymnastics
Mrs. Francisca Reyes Aquino together with Director Candido Bartolome started gymnastics in the
Philippines.
Meaning of Gymnastics
Gymnastics is defined as a self-motivating activity where one can manipulate the different parts of the body in
varied movements (Diñoso, 1993). It is the performance of systematic exercise often with the use of light
apparatus like rings and wands and other heavy gymnastics apparatus. It is a competitive sport in which
individuals perform optional and prescribed acrobatics, mostly on special apparatus and body control.
Objectives
The following are the essential objectives of gymnastics:
1. To improve and maintain physically – fit body
2. To achieve efficient movement through grace, poise, dignity, form and rhythm
3. To improve social development like courage, initiative, determination and perseverance
4. To correct minor posture defects
5. To stimulate enjoyment and interest in gymnastics
Phases of Gymnastics
The gymnastic program has different phases that contributes to various elements in gymnastics. These
elements are strength, flexibility, balance, coordination, and endurance.
1. Coordination Program
The exercises are selected for the purpose of preparing the body for more complicated
movements and skills. Warm-up exercise can also be selected in this phase. It is also called as “Calisthenics.”
2. Rhythmic Gymnastics
Routines or exercise accompanied with music are called “Rhythmic Gymnastics” which are
performed in rhythmical manner and in smoothly flowing movements. This phase includes the freehand
exercise, and all exercise which involve the use of light apparatuses such as wands, rings, hoops, ribbons,
ropes, etc. Gymnastics skills, dance skills, locomotor skills, stunts and tumbling skills are combined to form
a routine on the floor. The performer is encouraged to create and develop her own routine according to her
abilities.
3. Stunts
Stunts are activities in the form of play which test one’s strength, flexibility, balance, agility,
endurance and coordination. This phase is especially suited to the lower grades. Some stunts can be considered
as conditioning exercise while some are preparatory stunts for tumbling skills.
4. Tumbling
Tumbling is the most important phase of the gymnastics program because the ability of the
performer is tested as he rolls to and fro, twists, turns and springs about on the mat, floor and up in the air.
5. Apparatus Exercise (Heavy)
Apparatus Exercise includes activities done o the balance beam, vaulting horse, parallel bars,
uneven bars, rings, and the trampoline.
6. Pyramid Building
Pyramid Building allows the students to create pictures (mural) through body static positions
properly arranged and selected form a pyramid.