Physical Activity Could be Relaxing, Right?

With stress being an inevitable obstacle in the “game” of life, one must pause the game and take a break, let their mind rest from the constant worrying of upcoming tests or deadlines. This break varies from person to person as everyone experiences relaxation in different ways. In the novel, The Soloist, Nathaniel finds this break in music, whereas I take my break in the sport of gymnastics and in teaching gymnastics. Gymnastics is a sport that requires intense focus, determination and patience; these traits help me vanish from the world of stress.

In gymnastics there is no multi-tasking, if a gymnast multi-tasks there is risk of injury. Stress and the outside world do not have a place inside the gym. One uses their entire body to help perform skills, strengthening themselves physically and mentally. When I do gymnastics, everything that worried me for the day is gone. I focus on my breathing remembering to keep breathing and not hurt myself. When performing certain skills, I cannot afford to be thinking about an assignment that I haven’t done yet or else I would risk not landing correctly. Every time I enter my gym, my mood changes and all I want to do is work on a skill that I have not mastered, for example a back handspring. On a side note, a back handspring is where you jump back onto your hands and whip your legs back to land on your feet. Although I have yet to master this skill, as I have been working on it for a little more than 2 years, I am very determined to master this skill on the floor. Whenever I attempted a spotted back handspring, there is absolutely no way I can be thinking of anything else besides my body movements. Whenever I am distracted and think of something else, I would have a horrible form and would certainly mess up. Doing gymnastics is my way of escaping my responsibilities for an hour and a half and just focus on what my body can do and how I can improve my flexibility.

The benefits of gymnastics are numerous. In an overall concept it is the “total package” of exercising and getting fit. Performing any skill whether it is a handstand, cartwheel, bridge kick over, chin up pullover, back hip circle or front tuck, it requires you to work out your muscles. Dissecting one skill, the handstand, performing a hand stand would utilize your upper back muscles and your forearm muscles to keep you up. Your core muscles will be strengthened to keep you balanced while your heart will be pumping blood throughout your body to provide oxygen. Cardio is used a lot as each skill is the equivalent to going full sprint on a track field. Each skill requires body control that will be developed over time and practice. From this focus and body control, there are numerous applications. My health is better in both the short and long term a well as my body control. Balance is key in gymnastics and thus it has improved both my reflexes and hand-eye coordination.

During the practice is where I would be “missing out” on my day. As I would leave all my responsibilities at the door of my gym, they would pile onto me as I walk back out. My class would be on Mondays from 7:30-9 and when I would leave my gym, all the assignments I haven’t done would slowly appear to me. I have unpaused the game when I have paused it mid-attack from my responsibilities.  In a way I have used up an hour and a half on doing gymnastics rather than finishing up an assignment that I have procrastinated on. Most of the time, this hour off is worth every single minute as I have gone almost two hours without worrying about my schedule, assignments that need to be done, family problems that uninterested me or major events I forgot about. Everyone needs to let go of their responsibilities now and then so that tackling them again would not be as painful as before.