Conditioning and Warm-up Program

One of the foremost important phases of the gymnastics program is that the preparation of the body towards other
gymnastics skills. The conditioning program should be planned to insure proper body preparation. There should be
exercise for flexibility and for strength of the arms, legs, abdomen, back and toes.

Start the program from easy to harder task to attain the required effect/s. warm-up exercises are often selected from
the exercises within the conditioning exercises.

Arms And Shoulder Girdle

1. Arms Stretch- hold hands at the back with the elbows close together, fingers interlaced palms facing out.
Hold this position for 4 counts or more. This can be done in standing stride position or long sitting
position.
2. Arm Circling- standing or cross sitting position raise arms sideward. Circle the arms without bending the
elbow. Start from small circle and gradually increase the circumference. Reverse the circling.
3. Arm Swing- from a dog stand position, swing right arms sideward backward with slight body twist to the
right(L), left (R) hand stays on the floor. Do this 8 counts on both sides or as desired.
4. Knee Push-Up- prone lying position with knees bent place hands in push-up position. Push the body up
to straight arm support then slowly return to starting position.
5. Arm Push-Up (Modified)- from a dog stand position, bend arms so that the chin touches the floor, the
elbos is off the floor and the fingers pointing forward.
6. Arm Push-Up (Standard)- from prone lying position, arms in push-up position push the body up to front
arm support, the body straight. Slowly go down to starting position. Repeat as desired and for better
effects.

Hips, Legs and Feet

1. Knee Bends- feet together, hands on waist, half knee bend feet flat on the floor. Slowly go down to full
knees bent with the weight of the balls of the feet. Slowly come up to standing position. Repeat 8
counts.
2. Leg Raising- feet together, arms sideward, raise right leg forward, return to position. Raise leg sideward
raise leg backwards do four counts for each direction and repeat the whole movement using left leg.
3. Standing Body Bent Backwards- standing slightly stride, bend trunk backward from the waist. Hands on
the hips.
4. Frog Sit Or Tailor Sit- place hands on knees and push knees downward and return to position
5. Kneeling Arch Back- kneeling position, arms forward, bend trunk to arch back, right hand overhead, left
hand in front.
6. Long Sitting Rest Position- from a long sitting rest position; flex right knee so that the toes are pointed
close to the other left knee; stretch to leg raise in front; return to first action, repeat this action right and
left alternately as desired.
7. Long Sitting Rest Position With Straight Leg Raise- bend both knees stretch both legs up and lower both
slowly to starting position.
8. Long Sitting Position With Both Legs Raising- from long sitting, hold ankles, bend both knees, stretch
both legs upward, hold and return to position.
9. Supine Lying Position With Leg Raising- from supine lying position, raise right leg return to pisiton and
repeat action alternately right and left.

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 10. Side Lying With Leg Raise Sideward- in side lying position raise top leg upward, return to starting
position and repeat using the other side. Do as desired.
11. Stride Sitting And Body Bent- from stride sitting position, arms upward, bend trunk to the right leg.
Return to position. Raise arms upward bend forward to center of the legs, arms touching the feet.
Return to position. Repeat as desired.
12. Hurdle Sit, Leg Stretch, And Trunk Bend- from hurdle sit position, arms overhead, bend trunk to the
stretch the leg. Hold this position for 4 to 8 cts. Return to position and repeat as desired. Change
position and repeat the whole action.
13. Kneeling Position With One Leg Extended (Forward)- from kneeling position extend right(l) leg forward
arms overhead; bend trunk forward to stretch the leg; press the body close to the extended leg. Hold for
4 to 8 cts. Change position with the left (r) leg extended forward.
14. Kneeling Position With One Leg Extended (Sideward)- from kneeling position extend one leg sideward;
both arms extended sideward; bend body side ward to where the extended leg is; other arm will be just
right between the thigh while the other is extended upward. Change position and do the same action.

Trunk and Abdominal Region

1. Lateral Bends- in a stride standing position, raise right arm (l) arm upward, left (r) hands on hips. Bend
trunk sideward left (right) pressing the trunk slowly downward. Return to position and change position of
the hands.
2. Bend Trunk Backward- from stride standing position, hands at the back of the thigh (supporting the hips)
bend trunk backward, starting the bend from head, chest and waist. Stay in this position for 4 cts or
more. Slowly return to position.
3. Dog Stand Position With Leg Raise In Rear- from a dog stand position extend the right(l) leg in rear; toes
touching the floor; raise the extended leg upward in rear. Head is held up and the supporting arms
straight. Trunk arch from the waist as the leg is raised in rear. Return to starting position and repeat the
action on the other side (alternately) repeat as desired.
4. Abdominal Curl- from a supine lying position, hands in front of thigh; lift head and chest forward; hold the
position for 4 cts. Return to position and relax. Repeat as desired.
5. Supine Lying With Leg Bent And Stretch- from supine lying position bend knees close to body; stretch the
legs upward. Slowly lower the legs to starting position arms spread sideward. Repeat as desired.
6. Hook Lying Position With Hip Push-up- from a hook lying position, push the hip upward to full extension
of the body. Stay in the position for 4 to 8 cts. Return to starting position. Repeat as desired.
7. Prone Lying Position, Leg Raising at the Back- in a prone lying position arms stretch forward, raise legs
backward alternately right and left (movement from the hip joint legs straight). Do this movement as
many as desired.
8. Prone Lying Position Both Legs Raise- Raise both legs in rear; tummy and chest in contact with the floor.
Hold this position for 4 counts. Return to starting position and repeat as desired.
9. Prone Lying; Arm Push-Up; Arch Back- ina prone lying position place both hands near the chest to the
sides. Push arms to stretch full extension, trunk to arch back. The hips and legs must remain in contact
with the floor. Perform movement slowly and repeat as desired.
10. Prone Lying Position; Lift Head and Chest- in prone lying position; hands on neck; lift head and chest
slowly; hips and legs remain on the floor. Hold this position for 4 to 8 cts. Return to starting position and
repeat as desired.

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 11. Prone Lying with Ankle Hold- in a prone lying position hold both ankles with both hands and pull the legs
of the floor at the same time lift the chest to form an arch; tighten abdominal muscle as you perform.
Return to starting position gradually and repeat action as desired.
12. Shoulder Stand- in supine lying position raise both legs to full extension; hold the hips with both hands for
support; upper arm and elbow resting on the floor as the hands support the hips for the raise. Hold the
position for 4 to 8 cts.
13. Shoulder Stand with Knee Bend- in supine lying position raise both legs to full extension; hold the hips
with both hands for support; upper arm and elbow resting on the floor as the hands support the hips for
the raise; bent right (l) knee to touch the forehead while the other leg is on its extended position.
Alternately perform in each leg in a slow motion.
14. Shoulder Stand with Legs Overhead- following the shoulder stand position; slowly lower both legs
overhead so that the toes touch the floor. Stay in position for 4 to 8 cts. Return to starting position slowly
and relax, repeat action as desired.

GUIDE IN USING CONDITIONING EXERCISES IN ATTAINING FLOOR SKILLS

1. Plan exercises that will develop the needed skills. Start from easy to difficult exercise.
2. Be aware of the value of the exercise being performed.
3. Perform warm-up before performing any exercises.
4. Use even and smooth movement. Never use bouncing movement when exercising for the first time.
5. Consider the following overload principles when doing a series of exercises;
a. Intensity- number of repetition of a specific exercise.
b. Duration- the amount of time used for specific exercises.
c. Frequency- how often exercise performance is being done within a week. Example 2 or 3 times a
day or everyday.

Regular physical activity is vital for good health. While there is a risk of injury with any type of physical activity, the
benefits of staying active far outweigh the risks. You can reduce your risk of exercise injury by following these
recommendations:

How to Exercise

1. Always wear your comfortable outfit that is safe to use while performing any physical activity.
2. Warm-up before performance and do cool down after exercise.
3. Follow the guide for movement no bouncy movement especially if you are a beginner.
4. Be sure that you have achieved your maximum level of performance
5. Hydrate yourself before during and after exercise activity.
6. Avoid doing playful stuff like making someone laugh while performing; playing; joking around; and others so as
to ensure safe performance and proper execution of movements.
7. Have a spotter or partner with you to correct your proper form during performance.
8. Stop exercising immediately
If you experience any of the following symptoms, stop exercising and seek medical help:
- Feel discomfort or pain
- Have chest pain or other pain that could indicate a heart attack, including pain in the neck and jaw, pain
travelling down the arm or pain between the shoulder blades
- Experience extreme breathlessness

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 - Develop a rapid or irregular heartbeat during exercise
- Joint pain persisting after more than three days of rest
9. Take it easy if you are sick or injured- When you come down with a cold or other illness your body needs all of its
resources to combat the infection and heal. This is also true when recovering from an injury or surgery. Adding
exercise to the stress of illness puts extra strain on your body's energy reserves and immune system. Wait until
you are fully recovered before resuming regular exercise. When you do resume, take into account your period of
inactivity and avoid vigorous workouts until your body is back into the routine.
10. Learn how to avoid repetitive stress injuries- Many physical activities have the potential for creating cumulative
damage to muscles and joints. By nature, physical activity presents a stress to the body in the form of physical
resistance and/or impact. Repeated stress can result in microscopic tears within the muscles as well as
inflammation of tendons and joint surfaces. This damage usually announces itself by way of joint swelling and/or
pain in the knees, feet, shoulders, or other joints. If the damage is mild the body is able to make repairs, given
there is time allowed for healing. More severe damage and inflammation occurs when time between stresses is
not adequate to allow healing. Chronic pain, inflammation, and scarification is the result.

How to warm-up?

 As the name suggests, your warm-up (5–10 minutes) should gradually warm your muscles and body temperature.
 The type of activity done in the warm-up should include major muscle groups that will be used in your sporting activity.
 Your warm-up could begin with a low intensity activity such as brisk walking or jogging.
 Stretching should be performed once the muscles have been warmed, as the stretching of cold muscles is less
effective. It is also important to stretch after activity as well to assist recovery.

Why cool down?

 To reduce muscle soreness and stiffness

 In the last 5 minutes, slow down gradually to a light jog or brisk walk.
 Finish off with 5–10 minutes of stretching (emphasize the major muscle groups you have used during your activity).

Drinking lots of water

You can lose around one and a half liters of fluid for every hour of exercise. One of the first symptoms of dehydration is
fatigue, which causes a significant drop in sporting performance. It may also make you susceptible to cramps, heat stress
and heat stroke. Suggestions include:

 Avoid starting exercise dehydrated. Drink plenty of fluids for several hours prior to exercise.
 If you are well hydrated you should be able to pass a good volume of clear urine in the hour before exercise.
 Drink at least 500ml (2 cups) an hour before exercise.
 Drink at least 150ml every 15 minutes during exercise.
 During exercise take advantage of all breaks in play to drink up.
 After exercise drink liberally to ensure you are fully re-hydrated.
https://www.acgov.org/wellness/documents/ExerciseSafetyHandout.pdf

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