Gymnastics emphasizes the importance of physical fitness to help your child stay active for life and even potentially enjoy a rewarding future in competitive sports. It also encourages teamwork and socialization, as well as teaching life lessons about staying focused and completing tasks. If you recently enrolled your child in gymnastics classes, use these tips to help your little tumbler stay safe and have fun.

What to Know Before Taking Your Child to Gymnastics Class

1. Make Sure the Leotard Fits

Have your child try on leotards in the store instead of purchasing a few online and hoping they fit. A leotard must fit snugly but comfortably. It shouldn’t feature binding areas that cut into the body or loose sections that could catch on gymnastics equipment. Avoid the temptation of buying a leotard your child will “grow into” for the latter reason.

2. Keep Hair Tied Back

Plait long hair to keep it out of your child’s face. Braiding also prevents strands from getting caught on equipment or becoming tangled. This is especially important if your little one has fine hair. Add some gel to the tresses if flyaway strands are an issue.

3. Be On-Time for Warm-Ups

Always arrive at the gymnastics center on time— not only as a courtesy to the instructor, other parents, and their children, but also so your child has time to warm up. Stretching prepares the muscles for tumbling and reduces the chance of injuries that keep your child off the floor, balance beam, vault, and uneven bars.

4. Provide Hydration Breaks

Call your child over during break times to drink water. People lose water during gymnastics through sweat and need to replenish liquid stores to prevent muscle cramps, fatigue, headaches, and other dehydration symptoms. Hydration breaks also stress the necessity of drinking water for overall health.

IMPACT Gymnastics Academy in Phoenix, AZ, combines the latest, high-quality equipment with Olympic-class coaching, and offers tumbling for cheer among other classes. Call the center today at (602) 870-7574 to schedule a free class trial or visit the website for program details. Get the latest event news on Facebook.