Children benefit from an active lifestyle and participating in any sport. The American Academy of Pediatrics believes that partaking in organized sports provides a chance for young people to increase their activity and develop socially and physically. Gym.Net adds that gymnastics is one of the most comprehensive lifestyle exercise programs available to children, incorporating strength, flexibility, speed, balance, coordination, power, and discipline. Whether they are involved in recreational gymnastics or with a competition squad, skills learned in gymnastics can benefit a child’s overall development.
Participation in gymnastics helps children become physically active, and stay fit and healthy. Taking part in any exercise significantly reduces the risk of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes in adulthood. As of 2010, one in three children in the United States was overweight, and the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports states that “encouraging moderate and vigorous physical activity among youth is important,” as the habits learned as a child are often carried through to adulthood. Regular participation in gymnastics can teach children how to live a healthy lifestyle, and remain involved in the sport as they grow up.