There are only a few gyms locally that offer classes but through research I have found that it is popular across the nation and in Europe. Some cater to former athletes, some to brand new to the sport, and some to our aging population. I have even found that some gyms that offer different levels of participation: Recreational and Competitive. Yes, there are competitions for 18+ year old gymnasts that are non-collegiate athletes. Talk about getting out of your comfort zone. These leagues offer adult competition: USAG, NAIGC, AAU, and USAIGC/IAIGC. Yeah, 4 of them! The last one is a US and International governing body. The University of Missouri and the University of Kansas both have NAIGC clubs.
Here are 10 quick reasons to do gymnastics as an adult
Get Crazy Strong
Be Impressive
Become more flexible
Better Coordination
Improve Balance
Overcome Fear
Learn to Fall without hurting yourself
Learn to Laugh at yourself
Brings out your inner child (So much fun!)
Can be done at any age
Still think you are too old to do gymnastics? Check out these 4 health benefits specific to older adults.
I will say that a lot of articles and videos that I came across in my research for this topic were based out of Europe and some from Down Under as well. The Chalk Bucket website site is extremely informative.
If you are local in Kansas City and would like to participate then I would suggest coming by our Open Training or signing up for a free trial in our Adult Gymnastics Class. If you are not in the Kansas City area, check out this list and look under "Find a Gym"
See you all soon.
Coach Heath