Spotlight On: Gymnastics Classes for Adults

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Gymnastics foam pitI grew up doing gymnastics and loved it.  When I moved to the Stamford area right out of college many years ago, I called around to gyms seeking out adult gymnastics classes and was disappointed to find they didn’t exist.  If only Chelsea Piers CT were around then!  As some of you know, we’ve held several Mom’s Night Out trampoline classes at Chelsea Piers (another one coming soon!) and had a blast, but I would always leave thinking… I really want to try the adult gymnastics class, but I have gotten so inflexible, and I will probably get hurt!  A few weeks ago, I decided I needed to try it! Blogger Keira Robilotto joined me and, as it was a gorgeous summer night, we were the only 2 in class.  Bonus for us!

Ready to Warm Up?

Instructor Vitali asked if we knew what to do to warm up. We said… Nope, show us the ropes as we did a series of energizing warm-ups and serious stretching.  Vitali did a great job assessing our abilities and working on proper form and skill-building through the warm-up.  I did gymnastics for years, but it was a LONG time ago. Keira’s gymnastics experience was limited to handstands and other poses in yoga classes, and Vitali created a great class for both of us!

Working on our skills

We worked on proper body positioning for dive rolls and handstands and focused on how that translates to more advanced skills. Next, we practiced some moves on the uneven parallel bars and moved to one of the many trampolines (I LOVE trampolines!).  Vitali is a great coach and spotter and, soon enough, had us both doing front flips on the trampoline (Go Keira!).  Next, we focused on building our confidence in forward movements, jumping down the trampoline runway into our choice of front flip or roll onto a big cushy mat.  We spent a lot of time laughing, and Vitali was quick to compliment and tell us like it was.

Bonus! (If you like that sort of thing!)

After working on some additional basic tumbling skills, Vitali surprised us by having us do hanging leg raises (impossible!) and assisted (more like tossing) pull-ups.  In the end, we both got a great workout, had the opportunity to feel like a kid, and I got to remember what gymnastics is like. I want to go back! Who wants to join me?

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Elysa Cruse
Elysa Cruse is a Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist, Certified Personal Trainer and is the Manager of the Corporate Wellness Program for Pitney Bowes (www.pbprojectliving.com). She moved to Fairfield County after college and has been enjoying great ways to be active and eat well in the area ever since, including teaching exercise classes such as Stroller Strides, Pilates and Boot Camp. She is mom to an adorable 3 year old boy and loves getting outdoors whether hiking, biking, or running (really anything as long as it's not weeding). Elysa is still working on the ultimate in work life balance and she's okay if she never quite finds it. Connect with Elysa on Twitter @ElysaCruseRD

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