JOIN USIn January 2016, Sanchita Chakraborti made a New Year resolution to become fitter. She worked very hard and joined crossfit classes. She realised that she lacked flexibility and mobility. She took to gymnastics and started practising with accessories and doing strengthening exercises. A year later, she is happy about the choice she made.
“I have no foundation in gymnastics and often watched athletes perform with much interest. It requires a lot of upper body strength and I think men can do it better than women. So I had to work twice as hard. I am proud to say that I am a lot flexible and strong now,” says Sanchita.
Sanchita is not the only one. Many adults are taking to gymnastics as a fun workout option. “One of the factors that makes the upper body strong is the handstand and headstand. I am terrified of the inverted position and I would often avoid doing it. And the first time I tried it, I screamed so loud that everyone got scared. But I slowly overcame that fear and am getting better at it now.”
Prashanth Ponnappa, a crossfit level 1 trainer says, “Most adults don’t opt for gymnastics because they think they are too old for it. It’s a mental block. They worry that since their body is not young anymore, they won’t be able to stretch themselves properly. However, the trick is to exercise more and your body will eventually become more comfortable with different positions.”
He says that the adults between the age of 25 and 50 are slowly making the attempt to learn gymnastics now. “As crossfit is a big part of the workout, many don’t realise that the exercise they are doing is helping them improve their upper body strength. What is attractive about gymnastics are the rings and cartwheels. If one has a personal goal, it’s not too hard to learn.”
Proving that age doesn’t make much of a difference for one to learn gymnastics is Sujoy Das, a professional. He who has been going for crossfit classes, which include gymnastics, for two years. He says, “I am a 41-year-old and I am much fitter now than when I was younger. I have gone through the phase of joining a gym but I realised that my body is still not strong enough. It’s a challenge to do certain things at my age, but I make sure that I learn the techniques correctly in order to avoid problems.”
Vivienne Vidyasagar, the co-owner of ‘RnR Fit’, believes that the trend of adults pursuing gymnastics is slowly growing in the city.
“It was usually dancers who joined as they wanted to improve their flexibility. Soon, IT professionals also started attending the classes. Gymnastics is one of the best ways to burn out energy and strengthen your body. Many fitness enthusiasts are moving away from
using gym equipment and concentrating on using their own body to stay fit. It’s definitely the way forward,” she exclaims.