Gymnastics Has Been Around for a Long Time Gymnastics has been around for thousands of years The ancient Greeks used the word to describe exercises However these exercises did not include the gymnastics events we know today Only tumbling and a type of jumping over objects took place in the ancient world Later people saw gymnastics as good exercise They taught the sport in schools It was also good training for war In 1813 Friedrich Ludwig Jahn opened a playground in Germany He used equipment such as the parallel bars and the pommel horse His goal was to build muscles in athletes Friedrich Ludwig Jahn’s playground in Berlin 1 4
Milwaukee Turners 1880 legs and upper body Jahn is called the father of modern gymnastics German immigrants brought gymnastics to the US in the late 1800s Competitions were held in the US and around the world By 1896 gymnastics was popular enough to be one of the sports in the first modern Olympic games 1860 Year the first gymnastics festival was held in Germany The festival called Turnfest included competitors from all over Europe Members of the gymnastics club were called Turners Only men were allowed to compete 5
This Sport Is Good for the Body Some studies say gymnastics produces the best athletes in the world That’s because gymnastics works all muscle groups Gymnastics involves a lot of stretching Stretching makes your body more flexible That helps to avoid injury Gymnastics is great for developing coordination too This sport also strengthens and builds muscles Look at the leg muscles of Simone Biles or the arm muscles of Danell Leyva It’s easy to see how gymnastics Simone Biles at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janiero Brazil 2 6
made them strong and powerful Gymnastics also builds bone density That makes bones less likely to break Gymnastics is also a good mental exercise Performing a routine requires complete focus and concentration Becoming a great gymnast THINK ABOUT IT Why would someone choose to go through the intense physical and mental training to become a top gymnast requires lots of discipline Practicing day after day helps gymnasts become the best 1,000 Average number of calories burned during four hours of gymnastics Gymnastics burns fewer calories than running or swimming It burns more calories than volleyball or softball The average gymnast consumes about 2,000 calories a day 7
