Gymnastics is the sport in which a series of body movements, which require a lot of strength, flexibility and balance.
Gymnastics modalities are classified as competitive (or sports) and non-competitive.
The best known belong to sports gymnastics and vary according to the movements, rules and devices used. Some examples are the artistic gymnastics, rhythmic It is trampoline.
The practice of gymnastics is ancient and was present in several societies. In Ancient Greece, for example, it was used in military preparation or as a way to express yourself artistically. In India, it was present at the yoga. There are also records of the sport in China and Egypt for thousands of years.
types of gym
artistic gymnastics
Artistic gymnastics is a modality that demands a lot of strength, balance it is strong technical mastery to perform precise movements.
Competitions are held in teams and individually, by women and men, in various
gadgets. They are: rings, uneven bars, balance bars, horizontal bars, parallel bars and horse. There are still categories without apparatus, in which you compete on the ground.It is the best-known modality of sports gymnastics, especially due to the prominence of Brazilian teams in recent years. Well-known athletes such as Diego and Daniele Hypólito, Daiane dos Santos and Rebeca Andrade competed and still compete in the sport.
Learn more about artistic gymnastics.
Rhythmic gymnastics
Rhythmic gymnastics is a modality that, in addition to the technique required by gymnastics itself, also uses elements from other arts, such as the ballet, The dance, O theater and the music.
The apparatus used are the hoop, ball, ribbon and clubs. It is a modality that requires strength, flexibility, elegance, agility and rapport between athletes to perform movements in synchrony.
Rhythmic gymnastics competitions can be played in teams or individually. In major competitions, such as the Olympics, only female participation is accepted.
Learn more about rhythmic gymnastics.
Acrobatic gymnastics
As the name says, acrobatic gymnastics has as its main element the stunts performed by the athletes. It has a strong influence of circus art, being a modality in which strength and balance are of extreme importance.
It is performed in pairs or groups. They can be female, male and mixed pairs or male and female groups. The groups are usually composed of three people, divided into basic, intermediate and steering wheel roles.
It is also common in group competitions for participants to have very different heights and ages. Acrobatic gymnastics is not an Olympic sport.
trampoline gymnastics
Trampoline gymnastics consists mainly of jumps and acrobatics performed on a trampoline, a type of trampoline. Like acrobatic gymnastics, it also has great influence from the circus arts.
The modality requires strength, especially in the legs, body control and flexibility. It is performed in male and female competitions, and there is synchronized practice, in which two athletes, on different trampolines, perform the same movements at the same time.
aerobics
Aerobic gymnastics is heavily influenced by music and dance, demanding body control, strength and grace during the execution of movements.
It is not yet an Olympic sport, but competitions can be individual, in pairs (mixed) or groups (which can be 3 or 5 people). Competitive executions are usually agile, cheerful and with a lot of musicality.
Origin and history of gymnastics
The origin of gymnastics is not precise, it is known that it is a millennial practice present in different forms in different regions of the world. There are records about the use of gymnastics in Ancient Greece, India (through the yoga), in China and Egypt.
In many of these societies the practice took place both as a way of exercise physically, as military preparation or artistic expression in rituals and festivals.
With the rise of Christian values, especially during the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages in Europe, any kind of reverence for the human body was considered negative and gymnastics fell into disuse. However, in other parts of the world, it continued to be used.
Only after the Renaissance, around the 18th century, did the practice regain popularity and the first European gymnastics schools appeared, with their own methods and techniques. The best known schools were the English, German, French and Swedish.
In the 19th century, gymnastics underwent a process of improvement, initiating what is known today as the sport. Including participating in the first Olympics of the Modern Era, in 1896. In 1921, the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG).
In Brazil, it arrived through German immigration in the 19th century. The German method is the one that most influenced the history of gymnastics in the country.
In recent years, the Brazilian gymnastics team has been gaining international prominence. The first gold medals at the Olympics came from artistic gymnastics, in 2012 and 2021, with Arthur Zanetti It is Receive Andrade, respectively.
Difference between competitive and non-competitive gymnastics
The various gymnastics modalities can be divided into competitive (or sports) and non-competitive. The call competitive gymnastics is composed of the modalities that are practiced aiming at sports competition. For example, the Olympic sports:
- artistic gymnastics,
- Rhythmic gymnastics,
- Trampoline gymnastics.
Are part of the gym uncompetitive the ways practiced by leisure, physical exercise It is health issues. That is, they are activities carried out without the purpose of competing with other practitioners. For example:
- water aerobics,
- Labor gymnastics,
- yoga traditional,
- Physical therapy exercises.
See too what are and examples of martial arts It is what is and the modalities of skateboarding.
