Rhythmic gymnastics lessons for children are in demand and affordable, and such popularity is quite understandable - this sport is recognized as one of the most beautiful. We will tell you what its features are and to whom such classes will be useful.

Features of rhythmic gymnastics

Rhythmic gymnastics is multifaceted and includes several aspects:

• dance;
• interaction with objects;
• facial expressions;
• plastic;
• acrobatics;
• ballet elements;
• juggling.

It is inextricably linked with music, promotes aesthetic education, develops motor memory. In the classroom, children train the accuracy and integrity of the reproduction of movements.

Rhythmic gymnastics is a very beautiful sport. Elements of acrobatics and excellent plasticity, impeccable control of one's own body, the grace and grace of athletes, combined with musical accompaniment, make the viewer forget about everything and enjoy the spectacle.

Positive and negative aspects

Looking at the movements of the gymnasts, few of the spectators think about how much time, effort, patience, will and endurance were invested in this number. Many hours of training, bringing each movement to automatism, fatigue, pain - all this will have to be faced by the child. What do parents need to be prepared for if they decide to connect the fate of their child with rhythmic gymnastics?

Minuses

Despite the beauty of this sport, some difficulties and limitations - both during training and in Everyday life– can disappoint both parents and children.

• Pain from physical exertion. Since gymnasts must have excellent stretching, when performing certain exercises, the child is faced with pain in the muscles, and strong physical exercise, especially with weak immunity, can undermine health - both physical and mental.
• Psyche. Sometimes you can observe nervous breakdowns in children who cannot withstand the intense rhythm of training.
• Food restrictions. A gymnast should always be in good shape and not be overweight. Therefore, some dietary restrictions will accompany the child during training.
• Difficulties with the assimilation of the school curriculum. Competitions, victories and good results in sports require regular hours of training. Frequent skipping of lessons while studying at school, a minimum of time for doing homework can lead to poor academic performance and gaps in knowledge.

Do not forget that the load, including moral, in training is significantly different from that which will be at the competition.

pros

In addition to the negative aspects of gymnastics, of course, they are beneficial for both physical development preschooler, and for his mental health shaping character and will.

What does regular exercise develop in a child?

• Posture, flexibility, gait. Rhythmic gymnastics helps in the formation of correct posture, develops flexibility, and also forms a beautiful, light gait.
• Plasticity and sense of rhythm. Thanks to the close connection of gymnastics exercises with musical accompaniment, the girls develop an excellent sense of rhythm, they move beautifully and can dance to any melody.
• Self confidence. Sport is always self-confidence and self-confidence, which is reflected in all aspects of life.
• Education of fortitude, character, perseverance and striving for success. Training contributes to the fact that young athletes become disciplined and purposeful individuals. Such children, as a rule, do not react too emotionally even to a stressful situation, but are able to show prudence and firmness of character.
• Good mood. Sport becomes one of the best antidepressants due to the production of endorphins.
• New friends and acquaintances will certainly appear when visiting the sports section.

When is rhythmic gymnastics contraindicated for a child?

Before starting an active visit to training and performing even the simplest elements of gymnastics, you should conduct a complete examination of the preschooler, be sure to consult with a specialist, clarify the presence of contraindications and health risks.

• weak ligamentous apparatus;
• diseases of bones and joints;
• diseases of the spine.

The main question that parents should ask themselves when they decide to enroll their child in training is why? Professional sport or a means to develop flexibility and beautiful posture? The level of training and intensity of training, costs - both moral and material - depend on different goals.

What can you advise parents who decide to connect the life of a preschooler with this sport? We'll tell you what to look for Special attention and what to consider in order not to be disappointed and not harm the health and psyche of the child.

• Age

Some parents believe that children can and should be taken to sport sections and school as early as possible, for example from 3 years. For a baby, such a decision can turn into stress, since the coach’s strict requirements and constant training are not always within the power of a younger preschooler. Experienced trainers It is recommended to start classes at the age of 4. At the age of 5, with good physical data, it is also not too late to join this sport.

• Child's opinion

It must be taken into account. It often seems to parents that, due to their young age, their daughter does not understand the need for sports in her life, and therefore it is possible to decide for her.

• Individual characteristics.

One of the most significant and significant aspects when choosing rhythmic gymnastics classes is the individual characteristics of the child. For a girl of a melancholic temperament, vulnerable and sensitive, who prefers quiet and quiet games, such changes in life will be painful. Not every child can be made into an athlete. Insufficient flexibility due to hereditary factors, a predisposition to be overweight and other characteristics can cause lessons to turn into an overwhelming test. This does not mean that sports are excluded. For some children, for example, yoga will bring more benefit than gymnastics.

• Trainer

The success of the child will depend on the choice of a professional coach: attitude, desire to play sports, attitude to their own victories and failures. Therefore, we need a coach who can feel the individuality of the child. He should not "drive" a young athlete, trying to get best result at any cost, but also not to turn classes into entertainment.

• Group

Be sure to pay attention to the number of children in the group. How more group, the less ability the coach has to control everyone and the higher the risk of injury.

Clothes for gymnastics

The simplest set of clothes for beginner gymnasts is a training leotard and Czech shoes. Then you will need to purchase a swimsuit for the competition.

What is the difference between casual wear and swimwear for performances?

• Workout clothes are sized slightly larger for comfort. Tight torso and shoulders and more spacious in the buttocks - this swimsuit will be the most comfortable.
• A competition leotard should fit perfectly, fit snugly around the hips and have a small sleeve. It shouldn't be tight. Bright, colorful and original models look impressive.

The success of a young athlete depends on many factors: well-organized training and correctly distributed loads, internal qualities, proper nutrition, comfortable clothes for training and, of course, support for loved ones.

Welcome to Elite School of Rhythmic Gymnastics in Moscow. It is in our section that your daughter will be able to realize herself and become a great athlete! Rhythmic gymnastics is recognized as the most graceful, graceful and beautiful sport for children, which will give the girl flexibility, body control, health, agility and determination for life.

Our team consists of masters of sports and well-known choreographers who are aimed at obtaining an excellent result. You can find prices and reviews of classes on our website.

Rhythmic gymnastics for children in the SWAO

There are several groups in our school, so there must be a first session before enrollment. trial lesson on which the coach determines the level of training. For girls are presented:

• Initial level of training.
• Advanced level. Professional training of schoolgirls from 8 to 14 years old, who have been doing gymnastics for several years.
• Intensive classes that include choreographic exercises.

Groups have several directions depending on the goal that the young athlete has set for herself.

Rhythmic gymnastics for children: reviews

Is it worth giving a girl to sports? Advantages of classes in the rhythmic gymnastics section:

• Early hardening, which reduces the risk of developing colds.
• The condition of the musculoskeletal system improves, scoliosis and flat feet disappear.
• Gymnasts develop the habit of gracefully and femininely assuming poses and making every movement.
• The psycho-emotional state improves. In the process of training, the hormone of happiness is produced, and achieving success in the implementation of an element or a smart execution of a program causes self-satisfaction.
• High level of discipline. WITH early years Athletes fulfill the requirements of the coach.
• Serious approach to any business.
• Building for life.
• Self-confidence.
• How old do you have to be in rhythmic gymnastics? Ideal age is 3-6 years old.
• Girls know how not only to win, but also to accept the bitterness of defeat.

“Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport for strong, very strong girls. To sit on the splits for the first time is very painful, and any achievement is given through severe pain, which not every child can withstand, ”says the bronze medalist Olympic Games 2012 Lyubov Cherkashina.

An experienced athlete believes that parents play the most important role in the development of a gymnast girl. If you feel sorry for your daughter all the time, then the champion will not come out of her, many leave precisely because they cannot endure the pain, she notes. So is it even worth giving your baby to such a cruel sport?

Why is it worth giving the baby to gymnastics?

• The girl will form taut figure, correct gait and even posture.
• Successful gymnasts have an "iron" character, because they have to endure hellish pain. Whether your baby needs such a character is up to you.
• Willpower, endurance, discipline, patience - all these qualities are brought up by gymnastics.
• In addition to physical data, the girl will develop an ear for music.
• Developed and stretched muscles make it possible to forget about ordinary childhood injuries outside of training.

Why you should not do rhythmic gymnastics?

At the performances, the girls seem to flutter on the carpet, bend like plasticine dolls, but such skills are very difficult for them. The first years of training become real torture for them, in order to stretch the muscles they have to endure severe pain.

"I've always really liked gymnastics, gladly gave her daughter and waited for beautiful performances. Parents were not allowed into the gym during the training, but my daughter came out crying all the time. The coach said that this is normal, the first two or three years are really very painful. On open lesson I was convinced of this myself, my baby with burning tears for the first time sat on the twine. I took pity on her, we no longer went to training, ”says the mother of the failed five-year-old athlete Victoria Katkova.

So, the main disadvantage of this sport is the severe pain that the child will have to endure. And here the question is appropriate: for what? Olympic champion becomes one of millions, and the rest at the age of 20 end their careers, at best becoming a coach. In addition, gymnasts get sprains and sometimes torn ligaments, go on diets, train five times a week.

Another disadvantage is the financial component. Fees and prize funds much less than in mass sports. But swimwear and sports equipment are not cheap. For example, a children's swimsuit for classes will cost at least five thousand rubles, and an outfit for performances can cost all 50 thousand.

Who is contraindicated in rhythmic gymnastics?

• Children with diabetes.
• With heart disease.
• For any diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
• Girls with scoliosis.
• For those with impaired vision.

Who is Rhythmic Gymnastics for?

• Fragile, graceful girl.
• A girl of medium and small stature.
• To that baby who has a sense of rhythm and an ear for music.
• A girl "with character", not a little crybaby.

When to send the baby to classes?

Any coach will tell you that you need to start classes as early as possible. Children's flexibility and plasticity without proper training “weakens” every year, and therefore many mothers bring their daughters to sports school already three years old. Pediatricians strongly oppose such an early initiation into a harsh sport, they advise starting classes no earlier than five years old.

If you are seriously thinking about a career as a gymnast for your baby, then do not waste time! After the age of six, flexibility begins to decline, and by the age of eight it is almost impossible to fit into this sport.

How are gymnastics classes going?

For the first year, no one will “stretch” the baby with all his might, put her on a twine and put her on a bridge. At first, the coach will “check” what the child is capable of, evaluate his natural data, and only then will he begin to improve them. The first few months of training are held in a playful way, then the most simple elements: stand on the shoulder blades, wave, bridge, and already in the second year of study, the girls begin to train at full strength.

If you decide to send your daughter to this sport, then the first thing to do is to trust the coach! Do not give advice, take part in training. Do not dictate your own rules, even if it seems to you that the coach is too strict in relation to your baby.

We told you about what rhythmic gymnastics is, and how difficult it is for young athletes to perform beautiful and graceful performances. Should I send my daughter to this sport? Yes, if you have the courage! And not for the girl, but for you, the parents. You will have to comfort and support her after each workout and reassure her that she can handle the next stretch.

Have you ever imagined your daughter as a rhythmic gymnast?

Should I send my child to rhythmic gymnastics?

Rhythmic gymnastics is one of the most beautiful and graceful sports. Gymnastics is a relatively young sport, it was formed only in 1913 thanks to the dancers of the Mariinsky Ballet. Rhythmic gymnast exercises include elements of choreography and semi-acrobatics. Children in rhythmic gymnastics develop not only physically, but also psychologically.

Before you take a young athlete to the first lesson, evaluate all the pros and cons of rhythmic gymnastics.

Young athletes are attracted by bright swimsuits, and parents are attracted by the success and grace of athletes. However, behind the veneer of this exclusively female sport, injuries, daily hard work and the bitterness of the first defeats are hidden.

Gymnasts flutter across the carpet and perform the most difficult elements with ease and airiness. During the performance, they demonstrate skillful control of their bodies. Nevertheless, only athletes and their mentors know how to achieve such mastery. Before you take a young athlete to the first lesson, evaluate all the pros and cons of rhythmic gymnastics.

Why You Shouldn't Do Rhythmic Gymnastics

Many parents say that rhythmic gymnastics for children is best sport for girls. They see the ease and grace of the performers and do not suspect that each movement is perfected for several hours, that each wave of the hand is perfected to automatism.

First, you need to understand whether it is worth giving your child to gymnastics. For this, consider negative sides rhythmic gymnastics.

Stretch pain

To perform special gymnastic elements A young gymnast must be in good physical shape. Therefore, in the first few years, young athletes are mainly engaged in general physical training. The main emphasis in children under the age of 6-7 years is on stretching. At the same time, beginner gymnasts, even those who are very flexible by nature, feel severe pain in the ligaments.

Muscle pain

Every year, gymnasts spend more and more time on training. At the beginning of the journey, training takes place 2-3 times a week for about 1.5 hours. However, with the receipt of a new category, the time and number of training increases. So, adult athletes (12-14 years old), preparing for the performance program, train for at least 10 hours a day. Such many hours of exercise lead to muscle pain, as well as occupational injuries. Most often, gymnasts are prone to injuries of the ankles, knees and spine.

Excess weight

At performances, we see only slender and thin rhythmic gymnasts. However, this does not mean that absolutely all gymnasts are not inclined to be overweight. Just if the coach sees excess weight the athlete is immediately put on a strict diet. At the same time, physical activity is not reduced, because of this, many gymnasts suffer from “hungry fainting”.

Among the popular gymnasts prone to fullness, Alina Kabaeva and Laysan Utyasheva can be distinguished. Both gymnasts, in order to achieve high results in sports, were on the strictest diets. Laysan often recalls that the diet was so tough that she stole food from the trainer's dog.

Schooling

Even if the child does not qualify for international competitions, she will have to miss school. And those gymnasts who are aimed at high results in sports most often switch to individual training.

Financial component

Rhythmic gymnastics is one of the most expensive sports. In addition to the constant costs of paying for classes and buying shoes, parents should be prepared to buy expensive suits, sports accessories and pay for away competitions.

If you and your child are not afraid of the negative aspects of a rhythmic gymnast, then feel free to take the young athlete to her first lesson.

Who is contraindicated in rhythmic gymnastics

Each child must be approved by a doctor before class.

Rhythmic gymnastics is a very traumatic and difficult sport. Therefore, each child must obtain approval from a doctor before classes. Among the contraindications for rhythmic gymnastics classes are:

• Diabetes;
• Heart disease;
• Diseases of the musculoskeletal system;
• Scoliosis;
• Any visual impairment.

Coaches are advised to be constantly monitored by doctors in the first few years in order to identify how the sport affects the young gymnast. If the influence is negative, the child should be transferred to a less difficult sport.

Why is it worth giving the baby to gymnastics

The benefits of rhythmic gymnastics for children are undeniable. This is confirmed by professional doctors and qualified psychologists. Consider the positive impact of rhythmic gymnastics on children.

Appearance

Girls who do rhythmic gymnastics differ from their peers in flexibility, harmony and beautiful figure. Daily physical activity forms the correct posture and beautiful gait.

Health

Constant physical activity allows the child's body to harmoniously form. Rhythmic gymnastics helps to cope with the initial stages of scoliosis, thanks to the elements that stretch the spine, as well as clubfoot.

Character

Rhythmic gymnastics, in addition to a healthy body, forms a strong character. All gymnasts assure that they have achieved their goals thanks to the nature hardened by sports. Gymnasts are characterized by firmness of character, purposefulness, resistance to stress, endurance, perseverance and self-control.

Who is Rhythmic Gymnastics for?

Only girls are taken to rhythmic gymnastics.

There is a tough selection in rhythmic gymnastics groups. Every coach wants to get himself the most promising girls.

Firstly, the age of future athletes is taken into account, it is desirable to bring children to the selection at the age of 4-5 years. Secondly, girls are considered according to appearance. Slender and tall girls have an advantage.

It is desirable that the baby has an ear for music, and she has a sense of rhythm. The character of the child is important, they choose children "with character", stubborn and assertive. Crying and "aching" children will be quickly weeded out.

Significant quality is the coordination of movements. In the future, the gymnast will have to work with sports equipment, therefore, already at the beginning of the journey, it is desirable to find out whether the child can cope with it.

Essential when choosing gymnasts is good memory. The future gymnast should perfectly remember in what order and under what musical fragment to perform the elements during the performance.

In addition, future gymnasts are tested for flexibility, plasticity and eversion. good coach determines the potential of a young athlete in 3-4 weeks. If your child does not fit the parameters considered, then do not despair. There have been cases when girls who do not have good data achieve greater success than talented ones, due to the fact that from childhood they get used to overcoming themselves.

Along with this, it must be remembered that one gymnast out of a thousand achieves success and you can develop without focusing on a high result. Some go to classes to improve posture, correct clubfoot, or simply for general physical development.

When to send your child to classes

Age for rhythmic gymnastics depends on the goals. If professional sports are the goal, then the sooner you bring your child, the better.

At what age is it desirable to start classes? At the age of 3, rhythmic gymnastics teachers consider only independent and smart children. At this age, it is worth bringing the child to hour-long classes twice a week. At the same time, one of the parents should be within walking distance of the sports school in order to pick up the child from classes at any time.

The official enrollment in the rhythmic gymnastics section begins at the age of 4-5 years.

This is the ideal age to send your child to rhythmic gymnastics. If the child has very good physical data, they can be considered even at 7-8 years old.

Provided that gymnastics is considered an amateur section, then you can try to come to a sports school later, but preferably before adolescence, after 14 years it is difficult to stretch the girl's muscles to the required level.

How are the workouts

The first year children are engaged in a playful way. In addition, in the first couple of years, young athletes develop with the help of general physical exercises. Along with this, the children are pulled on the twine. At the same time, the coach looks at which of the children have the data for professional sports, and who will remain in the “amateurs”.

After about 2-3 years, the coach begins to teach the simplest gymnastic elements. Gymnastics exercises for children include bridges, splits, simple balances, jumps, a wheel and other simple elements. After receiving the category, children are introduced to the objects and taught to use them. In the first competitions in rhythmic gymnastics, children begin to participate after 2-3 years of study.

Sports career and its completion

The sports career of gymnasts is short-lived. At the age of 3-7, a young gymnast begins to practice and build her sports path, develops flexibility and stretching, and participates in children's tournaments. At the age of 7-12, she learns the basic elements and work with objects. From 12-16 daily training to practice the technique. Further competitions and championships of different levels: victories and defeats. At the age of 20, the gymnast ends her career and gives way to new young and talented athletes. However, her career ends only as an active gymnast, while many opportunities for self-development open up.

In order to receive the title of Master of Sports in rhythmic gymnastics, a child must live this sport from childhood.

Most often, girls choose the path of a coach, because by the end of their career they already have the skills necessary for this. In addition, many can complete higher education in the direction of "Physical Education". However, this is not the only direction in which you can realize yourself.

If a gymnast is purposeful and has many plans and ideas, she can realize herself in any field. For example, the well-known Alina Kabaeva, who built a good political career, after which she went into business. Or the equally popular Laysan Utyasheva, who, after completion sports career got a job on television.

Some gymnasts after sports completely go into family life, arrange family life and raise children, the famous Zhenya Kanaeva can serve as an example.

There are countless such examples. The end of a sports career is the discovery of new ideas, the implementation of old plans and the construction of a new, no less important career.

Harm or benefit

In order to receive the title of Master of Sports in rhythmic gymnastics, a child must live this gymnastics from childhood. If a young athlete really wants to devote all her free time to this, then you must prepare her for all the pros and cons of rhythmic gymnastics.

According to professional teachers, qualified psychologists and parents whose daughters have already gone through a sports path, rhythmic gymnastics can be both harmful and beneficial. Therefore, it will depend only on you and the coach what the child will receive from gymnastics.

Remember, the main thing you need to focus on when choosing whether or not to send a girl to a sports school is the desire of the child. Support the young athlete and be proud of her. Use the following tips:

• Constantly monitor the health of the child, visit doctors at least a year, especially in the period of 3-7 years;
• Get used to adjusting to the child's schedule, gymnastics will affect not only the child, but the whole family;
• Teach your child to respect competitors, you need to be able not only to win beautifully, but also to lose beautifully;
• Find a professional coach whom you can trust with psychological and physical condition daughters;
• Trust the child, if a young athlete wants to move to another coach, listen to her opinion.

After receiving the category, children are introduced to the objects and taught to use them.

The most important advice for the parents of a future gymnast: before sending a young athlete to a rhythmic gymnastics sports school, find out if she likes this sport. If you force your child to attend classes, then rhythmic gymnastics will only bring harm and will not help either. professional trainers no persuasion. On the other hand, if a child has fallen in love with gymnastics, trains with pleasure and dreams of high achievements, help her overcome all obstacles and rhythmic gymnastics will bring only benefits.

Why do moms and dads strive to make their daughters look like Alina Kabaeva, Irina Chashchina and Laysan Utyasheva; from what age do girls need to be enrolled in the rhythmic gymnastics section; what are the dangers of intense stretching and what are the undeniable benefits regular exercise? Rambler/Family offers to sort it out right now!

By the way, did you know that rhythmic gymnastics is a relatively young sport for girls and girls. graduate School artistic movement was opened in St. Petersburg in 1913. "Parents" of this sports direction became ballet dancers of the Mariinsky Theater. Since 1980, rhythmic gymnastics has been included in the program of the Olympic Games.

Rhythmic gymnastics - the princess of sports

If you decide to enroll your daughter in the rhythmic gymnastics section, remember that the optimal age to start is five to six years. Some prefer to start as early as possible - in three or four years. But do not rush, do not deprive the baby of childhood.

In addition, three-year-olds have little understanding of what sports mentors require of them. It is possible that the baby will be afraid of an uncomfortable large gym, start crying in class and ask to go home. But older children are more obedient, follow the coach's commands, memorize new acrobatic elements and easily make friends.

It is also not worth it to be late with the start of training. For example, it will be difficult for first-graders to master sports elements due to the lack of flexibility inherent in preschoolers. This does not mean that girls six or seven years old and older need to forget about rhythmic gymnastics. You can enroll in a section and study not to achieve sports results, and for your own pleasure, attending one or two classes a week.

As for the selection criteria for young gymnasts, everything here depends on the focus on results. If speak about big sport, then slender tall girls with good coordination of movements and excellent memory will succeed in rhythmic gymnastics (gymnasts have to memorize many connections between disparate acrobatic elements). Girls who are prone to fullness, poorly managing their bodies, are unlikely to be of interest to the coach.

But if we are talking about amateur activities, then the group accepts “various” babies: thin, plump, short, tall, flexible and “stiff”. Some parents send their daughter to rhythmic gymnastics, hoping that regular classes correct the girl's posture, help her lose weight and make her more refined, feminine.

It is not uncommon for girls who meet most of the requirements to not show proper results, as they do not have flexibility or diligence. As practice shows, it is possible to understand whether a young athlete will achieve success already a few weeks after the start of classes. In most cases, gymnasts leave the sport at the age of 16–17, giving way to younger successors. At the same time, many girls continue to train, but in a different status. They can join the faculty physical culture, devote yourself to choreography, work as fitness instructors or train little gymnasts in your own sports school.

Harm or benefit?

Girls in rhythmic gymnastics

Rhythmic gymnastics is undoubtedly the most aesthetic, graceful and inspiring sport. Girls in bright swimsuits with tufts of hair gathered at the back of their heads, who are in perfect control of their flexible bodies and perform virtuoso acrobatic numbers, cannot but arouse delight among outside observers. And only the “artists” themselves and their strict coaches know what really stands behind this airy lightness and beauty.

The impeccably perfected, automatic movements of gymnasts are the result of many hours of daily training, which is accompanied by muscle pain, fatigue and often irritation as a result of discrepancy between the results and expectations.

But all this is behind the scenes. In appearance, rhythmic gymnastics is the best suited for girls. However, you need to understand that this sport, like any other, is fraught with dangers. But it can also bring invaluable benefits to the child.

Side effects of intense exercise:

Muscle pain. Until about the age of seven, gymnasts are engaged in general physical preparation of the body, and after that they learn numbers for performances in competitions. During this period, the emphasis is on stretching. At the same time, the sensations are quite painful, almost all girls (even the most plastic ones by nature) cry during stretching.

Great physical activity. Children younger age exercise for a couple of hours a day. But the amount of time devoted to training increases with age. So, teenage girls who are preparing for competitions practice 10-14 hours a day! Hence - injuries, the development of occupational diseases (many gymnasts have problems with the spine, knees and ankles), and sometimes even nervous breakdowns.

Diets and hunger pangs. To maintain good physical form gymnasts, especially those who tend to be overweight, are forced to cut back on their daily calories. Diets are very common among those who are preparing for the next competition or have scored overweight during the holidays.

There are legends about coaches who forbid their wards to eat. At one time, the star of Russian rhythmic gymnastics Alina Kabaeva was strongly recommended by sports mentors not to eat after five or six in the evening. And her colleague Laysan Utyasheva recalled how, driven to exhaustion by training and diets, she ate dog food.

Missed school hours. As mentioned above, gymnasts devote most of their time to training in gym. At the same time, school performance leaves much to be desired. And it’s not even about laziness: girls simply don’t have time to prepare for classes and attend them. The most diligent solve math problems or prepare for a biology lab right in the locker room, in between workouts.

Gymnast girls

Good physical form. From a young age, girls-gymnasts form a beautiful correct posture and gait. Little athletes differ from their peers in tightened relief muscles, grace, endurance, and plasticity. Girls have a developed sense of rhythm, they move perfectly to almost any music. And the gymnasts are very artistic and self-confident.

Health. Sport ensures the harmonious development of a growing child's body. According to doctors, regular physical activity strengthens the musculoskeletal system and muscles. Through rhythmic gymnastics, you can save the girl from clubfoot and incipient scoliosis. It is also undeniable that young athletes are less prone to colds.

Tempering character. Gymnastics provides emotional stability, makes the child disciplined, purposeful. Girls and women who did gymnastics in childhood unanimously say that sport tempered their character, taught them to solve problems without unnecessary emotions, achieve goals and improve themselves.

positive infatuation. Exercise is one of the best and most affordable antidepressants. The fact is that during training, the body produces the so-called hormones of happiness - endorphins. In addition, rhythmic gymnastics can be considered as an interesting hobby.

Parents feel much calmer when they know that their child devotes his free time to a worthy cause, and does not wander aimlessly in the yard, being subjected to the bad influence of peers and older children.

To go or not to go: the opinion of parents

“Regions should not rely on global sports success, here we are talking only about mass sports. If parents want their children to become stars of rhythmic gymnastics, then they need to go to Moscow and train there.

Rhythmic gymnastics is a very expensive sport: swimwear costs from 5,000 rubles, a ball - from 3,000 rubles. And you also need to buy a jump rope, a hoop, a ribbon. At the same time, the objects “grow” with the child. Also, competitions and trips to the training camp require certain financial costs.

In Sevastopol, we have to rent a hall, since we have practically no halls suitable for this sport, or they are in a dilapidated state. Therefore, parents, sending their child to rhythmic gymnastics, should understand that a lot of expenses will be required, ”shares the opinion of the head of one of the Sevastopol companies Vyacheslav Tertus, who enrolled his daughter in rhythmic gymnastics when the girl was 4.5 years old.

According to the parent, the decision on whether to enroll the child in the rhythmic gymnastics section should be made by moms and dads together with the doctor. In the first years of training, you need to closely monitor your daughter in order to notice possible deterioration in well-being in time. If rhythmic gymnastics obviously harms the daughter's health, then you can switch to an alternative sport - aesthetic gymnastics, the load in which is less intense.

To go or not to go: teacher's opinion

Marina Budaeva, a choreography teacher and specialist consultant of the Pomogatel.ru service, recommends giving a child to professional sports from the age of four, since at this age the data necessary for gymnastics are most easily developed: eversion, flexibility, endurance and discipline.

“With good natural data, you can get into an amateur rhythmic gymnastics group up to 10-12 years old. At a later age, it is very difficult to stretch the child to the required level, and the strict discipline that occurs in gymnastics can injure the fragile psyche of a teenager in the puberty period, ”the expert notes.

According to Marina Budaeva, regular rhythmic gymnastics strengthens the immune system, muscles, and joints. It also improves the functioning of the heart and blood vessels. But all drugs in large quantities are poison: excessive loads harmful to health.

“Another significant disadvantage of rhythmic gymnastics is that girls must limit themselves in nutrition in order to go on the carpet without a gram excess fat. Unfortunately, often such a pursuit of harmony leads to the development anorexia nervosa, as well as the diagnosis of “primary amenorrhea”: due to insufficient body fat, the body cannot synthesize female sex hormones, and the girl begins to lag behind her peers in development,” the choreographer notes.

“In addition, I would not recommend rhythmic gymnastics for children with a sensitive psyche. You can pay attention to sports such as synchronized swimming, figure skating, ballroom dancing,” advises Marina Budaeva.

To go or not to go: the opinion of a psychologist

According to the psychologist, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor of the Department of Psychology of the Moscow Institute of Psychology Elena Koneeva, selection for sports activities starts at the age of seven. At the amateur level, rhythmic gymnastics can be started before the end of the favorable (sensitive) period of flexibility development - up to 11-14 years.

“In some schools, rhythmic gymnastics is the third lesson of physical education, even in high school. Since this type of gymnastics is purely feminine, among the advantages of the classes are the formation of posture, grace, musicality, dance and choreographic training. In order to maintain graceful forms, girls are taught to eat healthy food from the first days of classes, and this habit remains with them for the rest of their lives,” emphasizes Elena Koneeva.

The only negative for those involved in rhythmic gymnastics, according to the expert, arises at the stage of achieving the highest sportsmanship. Participation in international competitions leads to overload, overwork, overstrain, which, in turn, can lead to injury.

As for the financial expenses of parents whose daughters are fond of rhythmic gymnastics, then, as Elena Koneeva notes, if a child is selected for a sports school, then classes there are free. Classes in a section at a school or club will cost 5,000 rubles a month.

And finally - advice for moms and dads: before enrolling a child in a rhythmic gymnastics section, ask how interested he is in this sport. If your baby does not want to do exercises, no amount of persuasion will help. Otherwise, when a girl loves rhythmic gymnastics, trains intensively and dreams sports achievements, keep her passionate and don't forget to talk about how proud you are of her. Let sports be fun!