Simone Biles. Ali Raisman. Gabby Douglas. Shawn Johnson. Stacy Keibler. Kristin Adams. Kiana Tom. Amber Lancaster. Active females, in the sport of gymnastics and cheerleading, aspire to become well-known gymnasts and cheerleaders. They want to be the women the next generation of girls look up to. However, getting to the Olympics or on an NFL cheerleading team takes a lot of practice, dedication, and hard work. You need to perfect your craft. This means long hours of training, constant flips, twists, twirls, and cartwheels; as well as performing your routine over and over again. You challenge your body, constantly. Many females in these sports train 24/7. Most of them train at gyms. However, many gyms aren’t open 24/7. With that said, for continuous practice, gymnastics (and cheerleading-think cartwheels, round offs, etc) at home is very beneficial. Here’s all you need to know about gymnastics and cheerleading at home.
Equipment You Can Use At Home
If you cannot make it to the gym, or you want continuous practice, a home basement works just as well as the gym! You can set up your gymnastics and cheerleading equipment and begin practicing right away! Soon enough, you’ll be on your way to the Olympics or an NFL cheerleading team!
Foam Carpet Tiles: Carpet titles are typically used for home gyms. They’re also known as interlocking floor mats. They have many benefits. First, they are composed of a soft, foam texture. This is beneficial because the texture is easy on your hands, feet, and joints. If you fall, there is a low chance you can injure yourself. Instead, the foam can possibly support you, which makes your fall less uncomfortable and painful. The second benefit of these tiles is they are durable. In other words, they can withstand a lot of abuse. This makes them ideal for gymnastics and cheerleading. They can withstand the spring of feet and hands as you complete various types of flips and cartwheels. For parents, they are easy to clean. This is an ideal option if you’re practicing gymnastics and cheerleading at home. Say goodbye to cold concrete basement floor, or rough carpeted basement floors!
Tumbling Mat: There are various tumbling mats you can purchase and place in your basement for at-home use! These mats are also the proper thickness for your flips, tumbles, rolls, walkovers, handstands, and cartwheels. The thickness is very important when you are performing stunts. If the mat is too thin, there will not be enough cushioning to protect you if you fall. This makes for a painful landing. On the other hand, if the mat is too thick, you won’t be able to perform stunts to the best of your ability. Your hands and feet can sink into the mat when they’re not supposed to. However, there are mats for at home use that are the ideal thickness, so you can efficiently practice all of your stunts! It is important to note that aide from tumbling mats, there are cartwheel mats for younger gymnasts and cheerleaders. These mats show proper hand and feet placement that guides gymnasts while they do a cartwheel.
Gymnastics Cheese Mat: A gymnastics cheese mat is a mat that has an incline. It’s also known as a gymnastics wedge mat, or gymnastics cheese wedge mat. A gymnastics cheese mat can help the tiniest of gymnasts and you can easily place it in your home! These mats come in a variety of sizes, depending on the type of activities or stunts you need to practice performing. Since gymnastics cheese mats are on a incline, one of the most obvious thing for little gymnasts to do is roll. They can practice forward rolls, dive rolls, back rolls, and log rolls- just to name a few. The possibilities are endless!
If you’re a gymnast or cheerleader that has difficulty with upper body strength, a gymnastics cheese mat is also for you. You can practice bridges, backbends, and walkovers. Whatever the case may be, practicing with a gymnastics cheese mat in the comfort of your own home is simple! Additionally, practicing gymnastics and cheerleading at home is easy now, more than ever!