Gymnastics for all

Recreational gymnastics is the most popular kind of mass sport all over the world. It is also called GYMNASTICS FOR ALL. This type of physical culture is accessible for everyone from children to adults and from beginners to elite gymnasts. Its main functions are recovery and leisure.

GYMNASTICS FOR ALL is the ancestress of morgen related sport disciplines (rhythmic and artistic gymnastics. But first of all it is different by its accessibility and diversity, beauty, entertainment and agility.

Its appearance refers to ancient times when general gymnastics used to be the basis of physical education. Officially, this kind of sport was approved on July, 23rd 1881 when International Federation of Gymnastics (IFG), the governing body of competitive gymnastics, was founded in Belgium. Originally, its founder, Nicolas Kuperus, presented Gymnastics as a mass sport which would be accessible for people of all ages and physical abilities and give a lot of joy and fun. But soon modern kinds of Olympic Gymnastics started their development rapidly. And the founder’s ideas was embodied in independent stream called GYMNASTICS FOR ALL. People all over the world began to take part in different international festivals and competitions organized by International Federation of Gymnastics (IFG).

Nowadays there are more than ten different kinds of mass gymnastics: fitness aerobics, mass ammunition gymnastics, esthetic gymnastics, team gymnastics, cheerleading, air gymnastics,

trampoline jumping, jumping rope work out, morning gymnastics and etc.

GYMNASTICS FOR ALL is based on elements from rhythmic and artistic gymnastics, sport dancing and aerobics. They include wellness exercises, training on gymnastic equipment and such attributes like hoops, balls, ribbons, ropes and etc. All these elements are combined into great theatre stages and dance shows which we can see on international festivals and competitions.

Huge gymnastic international festivals are run annually but besides that many counties organize similar events. One of the most great GYMNASTIC FOR ALL events is World Gymnaestrada. This competition is run once every 4 years like Olympic Games, but it is organized like festival. So not only sportsmen or elite gymnasts can take part in it but every lover of this kind of sport of all ages and physical abilities. The main goal of World Gymnaestrada is public demonstration of your physical abilities and getting satisfaction from it. The slogan of all World Gymnaestradas images the idea of GYMNASTICS FOR ALL stream: “Make the Earth move”.

The number of Gymnaestrada’s participants achieves about 22 thousands from more than 50 countries. Many national teams consist of more than 1000 people. The hugest teams are Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, The USA and Canada. For example, in 2015 Swiss national team broke a record and came to the Festival including about 4 000 people.

Gymnastic classes are important mostly for children because they support harmonic physical and psychological development of the growing organism. Gymnastics promotes the formation of the muscular system, correct posture, coordination, endurance and child flexibility and much needed moral qualities such as strength of will, industry, commitment, self-analyzing, self-confidence and stress resistance.

By the way GYMNASTICS FOR ALL unlike other forms of professional gymnastics promotes solely the recreational function and besides that gives children joy and fun. Statistics and research show that children’s health improving after only a few months after starting of gymnastic trainings. Similar forms of physical activities are also practiced among pensioners and people with disabilities.

Nowadays most countries pay great attention at the development of GYMNASTICS FOR ALL, sometimes even giving it a greater priority than the Olympic disciplines. The most telling examples are from Scandinavian countries, the USA, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Japan, South Africa, Australia. They aim to make GYMNASTICS FOR ALL a major kind of sport in these countries.

The last few years there should be noted an actively growing interest in gymnastics in Russian society. "European Gymnastic Center" is the first network of high-quality fitness for children, using advanced foreign experience in organizing gymnastics.

During the training process our coaches use a special approach to motivate children, to make them more interested in sports. So gymnastic trainings bring children joy, fun and great benefits.