Gymnastics has existed for more than 2,000 years, but its development as a modern competitive sport began about 100 years ago. It was first introduced in the school systems of U.S. in the 1830's. The first women's gymnastics instruction in the United States was given at Mount Holyoke College in 1862. In 1928, after gymnastics became an Olympic sport, many women began to compete at the Olympic level. U.S. women first competed at an international level in the gymnastics discipline at the 1936 Olympic games, in Berlin, Germany.
There are many other international events of gymnastics where women from all around the world actively participate and win medals for their countries. Gymnastics as a sport boosts their morale, besides keeping them astonishingly fit. Women gymnasts typically start training at a very young age and reach their peak in their late teens or early twenties. They participate in several forms of gymnastics such as artistic, rhythmic, trampoline and tumbling and sports gymnastics.
Women's artistic gymnastic competitions consist of vault, balance beam, uneven bars and floor exercises. The competitors perform short routines, ranging from approximately 10 to 90 seconds on different apparatus. They are then graded on a score from 0 to 10 based on whether the performance contained certain required movements. Rhythmic gymnastics is meant for women. Floor music is played in the background that enhances dance movements. The gymnasts perform using apparatus such as ropes, hoops, balls, clubs and ribbons. This competition takes place individually or in teams of five. Competitors are awarded points by a team of judges for leaps, balances, pivots, flexibility, apparatus handling and artistic effect.
Aerobics is also a form of sports gymnastics. It involves physical exercises that are done to the accompaniment of music. It requires a performer to possess staying power, strength, flexibility, coordination and tact.
Sport acrobatics is performed in pairs or groups on the floor, or individually on a tumble run. The gymnasts perform a floor routine to music consisting of balance and tempo elements, as well as individual acrobatics elements
Women's gymnastics is a sport requiring strength, flexibility, coordination and grace. Consequently, aesthetics play an important part in the judgment of a competitive gymnastic performance. Unfortunately, the emphasis on slimness and appearance encourages many gymnasts to focus on their weight and caloric intake. This practice is of concern to many trainers and lovers of the sport, because it can lead to an insufficient energy intake and deficiencies in essential micronutrients such as calcium. It is advisable that women gymnasts pay attention to their overall health and flexibility to be able to compete and win at the highest level of the sport.
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