Skill Shapes & Trainers

June 20, 2019

As a sport, gymnastics has been around for over 2,000 years. In the beginning, gymnastics was a broad term used by the Greeks to encompass a variety of physical exercises in a competitive setting. For example, boxing, running, and wrestling were originally included in a group with gymnasts. Eventually, many of these other disciplines were filtered out, and gymnastics became a more pure form of what people practice today.

Of the four events in today's gymnastics for woman (Vault, Uneven Bars, Balance Beam, and Floor Routine) only tumbling and a form of vaulting were done originally. Tumbling has roots in places like ancient China, Crete, and Egypt. It wasn't until the late 1700s that Johann Christoph Friedrich Guts Muths modernized gymnastics into something that would be recognized as such today. Eventually, Friedrich Ludwig Jahn came along and further developed modern gymnastics, incorporating the parallel bars into gymnastics feats. And in 1896 the first truly open international Olympic gymnastics event occurred, one that started the tradition of gymnastics that we have today.

Since that time, competitive gymnastics is an incredible sport and includes gymnastics tumbling mats, gymnastics cheese mats (or gymnastics wedges), and a plethora of other pieces of training equipment. While it can be daunting to understand what the best types of gymnastics tumbling mats or other equipment are for home use or gym use, there are some things you can do to ensure safe gymnastics practice while at home.

Practicing Gymnastics Safely at Home

Though it isn't necessary for all types of home training, a gymnastics tumbling mat is usually recommended for students who want to train at home. Gymnastics tumbling mats are recommended for a few reasons, first is of course for safety. Having a mat will help cushion falls and help gymnasts practice in an environment similar to how they are learning at the gym. In addition to safety, the biggest advantage is consistency. When gymnasts learn moves in a training facility, they are on gymnastics tumbling mats and tracks and other equipment. Being able to practice on similar equipment at home will give the same consistent feel to a gymnast.

However even if a gymnast doesn't have a gymnastics tumbling mat to use at home, there are still plenty of exercises that can be done at home to help improve gymnastic skills.

Sprinting:

Getting better at sprinting will help both with the vault and the floor routine of a gymnast. Sprints are an excellent exercise to practice because they can be done almost anywhere and only require a good pair of running shoes. In addition, sprints help improve the cardiovascular health of a gymnast, which helps with overall fitness and endurance.

Pull-ups:

Being a gymnast requires upper and lower body strength, endurance, and power. Pull up bars can usually be purchased for $20 or $30 and fit in almost any doorway. Having the ability to both hang from a pull up bar and perform pull ups can help a gymnast prepare for the parallel and uneven bars, and the increase in arm strength will also help with beam and vaulting.

Handstands and Variations:

Being able to do handstands is an important part gymnastics at any level. Being able to perform handstands and maintain excellent form is very important. The great thing about handstands is that they are even easier to practice than sprints! All you need is a little bit of space and an even surface to practice on. Gymnasts that are brand new can even practice handstands against a wall to help build strength in the arms and shoulders. No gymnastics tumbling mats necessary for this one!

Splits and Other Flexibility Exercises: Just like handstands, performing the splits and other flexibility exercises requires no equipment and only a small amount of space. Being flexible is important to increase the ability of a gymnast and to keep gymnasts injury free.

Regardless of what your goals are as a gymnast, having some home equipment can help you break into that next level. However if you don't currently have access to home equipment, be creative and work with what you have. Consistent practice of the five activities mentioned above can help improve your gymnastics skills immensely and maximize the time you put in at the gym.

May 28, 2019

Young gymnasts who wish to develop their craft can do so right in the comfort of their home. Don’t let limited space be a deterrent—create a gymnasium to help your gymnast develop skills at home with our tumbling mats, octagons, floor beams, and more!

Choosing the Right Room

The first step is to choose a room that can withstand the noise, tumbling, and excitement of a budding young gymnast. Obviously, the type of home (apartment, two-level, or otherwise) and the size of the available space will impact the layout of your gym. Place your gymnastics equipment in an area that you can be sure won’t pose any distractions to the rest of your household. The constant movement means you may have to deal with the sounds of shuffling, running, jumping, and more. If there are other small children in the home with various sleeping schedules, your at-home gymnastics studio should stand apart from the other living spaces.

More spacious rooms are better suited to the task of housing a gymnastics room—especially considering your child will be (safely) bouncing off walls. Small spaces will appear even tinier when cluttered with equipment and mats. Natural sunlight and windows make for a welcoming, energizing space, perfect for a child gymnast; however, understandably, most people have already allocated such rooms as kitchens, living rooms, etc. Therefore, as a practical matter, many parents transform their basements instead. To make up for the lack of natural light, we recommend painting the room bright white, which will make it appear larger. Some people worry about the abrasive nature of white walls, but in fact, avoiding warm-hues is essential as they tend to stimulate relaxation.

Be sure to entirely dedicate your home gymnastics studio to the purpose of developing gymnastic skills. The worst mistake you can make is doubling up by using the same room as a play space for activities that utilize small toys and gadgets. Any unnecessary objects laying around are a potential threat to your child’s safety. The sport of gymnastics is incredibly taxing physically, and injuries will take a heavy toll on the vitality of an athlete. Ere on the side of caution by keeping the space clean and well-furnished with gymnastics tumbling mats.

Picking the Right Products

Your money and time are precious, so pick the products that are essential to your child’s learning:

1. Gymnastics Tumbling Mat: Consult our guide for choosing the right gymnastics mat. Every proper home gym must include a lot of tumbling mats, as this is where your child will learn and perfect most of their tricks. Our mats are foldable for quick storage and thick enough to offer protection during more advanced tricks.
2. Floor Beam: Consider your child’s skill level before purchasing a low, high, or adjustable beam. Foam balance beams are ideal for beginners. With a soft suede cover and a tapered bottom, foam beams provide stability for young beginners to get comfortable using them.
3. Foam Floor Mats: It’s imperative you cover hardwood or laminate floor with a layer of interlocking floor mats. This softens the impact of any harsh landings, providing an added layer of protection that a tumbling mat alone may not cover.
4. Incline Mat: For the little ones, the gradual slope of our high-quality incline mats—also known as cheese wedge mats—are the perfect place for them to practice forward, back, log, and dog rolls. Rolls are the very basis of nearly all gymnastics skills, and will likely be used by your child. They can also practice backbends and walkovers as a precursor to more difficult tricks such as back handsprings.

Best Exercises for Flexibility

Loose muscles will prevent cramping and muscle injuries. Improve your little one’s flexibility at home with these stretches. In order for the stretch to effectively reach the length of the muscle, children should hold it for at least 30 seconds.

1. Lower Body Stretches: Conditioning the calves using your own body weight is quick and easy, especially if you have a balance beam. Stand on a beam with your heels in the air and drop them down below the beam in pulses. Another great stretch is the downward dog, which stretches the hamstrings, calves, and your arms.
2. Lower Back Stretches: To gain muscle and flexibility in the lower back, try the straddle stretch. Sit on the floor with your legs stretched as far apart as they’ll go, and slowly bend forward from the hips. This will create a stretch in your inner thigh as well as your lower back. Extend forward until you feel tension in the stretch, but don’t continue to the point of physical pain.
3. Splits: The split relies on elasticity in the hip flexors and hamstrings and they are a focal element of many gymnastic skills. The oversplit—stretching the legs to bend at more than 180 degrees—has also become routine. Butterfly stretches work the inner thighs, lower back, hips, and groin area. To perform the stretch, sit down with your feet touching each other and your knees spread apart. Move your heels in towards your body while pushing your knees to the floor. You can also lower your back to the floor, pushing your arms in front of you to increase the stretch.

Best Exercises to Develop Strength

1. Hollow Body Hold: The hollow body hold is essential to develop a strong core, enabling gymnasts to hold handstands for long periods of time. To perform this exercise, lie down flat on your back (keeping in contact with the floor at all times), pulling your belly button towards the floor. Point your toes straight out and your arms straight back, holding your shoulders tight against your ears. Slowly begin to raise your shoulders and legs from the ground, but not too high—the goal is to find the lowest height at which you can hold your arms and legs up from the floor. Do this for a minimum of 60 seconds.

Tips: Don’t arch your lower back, as this will mean your core is not fully engaged and will render the exercise less effective. You should round your upper back, tuck your pelvis, and keep your abs and glutes tight throughout the entire exercise.

2. Arch Body: The arch body strengthens the posterior muscles of the back, often serving as the sister exercise in conjunction with the hollow body hold. To perform this exercise, lie face down with your stomach on the floor, stretching your arms overhead and extending your legs with pointed feet. The key is to keep your arms and legs from touching the floor for as long as possible while arching your body as much as possible.

Tips: Don’t use only your lower back to lift your extremities—engage your glutes and middle back as well, as this will also strengthen your core. Remember that your core includes muscles such as hip abductors, the pelvic floor, obliques, abdominal muscle, and any muscle that attaches to your spine.

April 30, 2019

Foam floor mats are ideal for use in trade show booths, schools, offices, retail stores, and residential spaces. And while foam floor tiles offer a lot of benefits, like durability, flexibility, and easy installation, they need to be properly cleaned and taken care of. So let's explore a few tips for caring for foam floor mats.

Don't use harsh chemicals: While you may think to use bleach or another strong cleaning solvent to rid the mats of germs and bacteria, using high pH products can significantly damage the materials. Instead, consider using a mild soap or detergent. Using a mild soap with hot water will ensure the mat is clean, remove grease and oil, and won't cause any harm to the mats. So make sure you have the right cleaning supplies available.

Vacuum or sweep regularly: Interlocking floor mats can gather quite a bit of debris as they're used. Crumbs, dirt, dust, and other debris can easily accumulate on these mats pretty quickly if they're used often. And while you don't have to clean the mats with soap and water every single day, you should sweep or vacuum the mats pretty regularly. Doing this will effectively remove any debris on the mats that have built up, but make sure not to use the spinning brush roller, as it can remove the surface finish of the mats.

Give the mats time to dry: After you clean the mats with soap and water, you should always leave the mats out to dry. Do not use the mats immediately after cleaning them, as they can be slippery when wet. Additionally, you should not roll the mats up after they're cleaned -- rolling mats up when they're wet or damp can lead to mildew growth. So after the foam floor mats have been cleaned, simply leave them out to dry. Letting them sit overnight is always a good idea.

It's important to properly clean and care for your foam mats in order to keep them in good shape. Following these simple tips will help you care for your mats as best as possible.