(MENAFN- Edelman) Dubai, July 12, 2023: Sarah Mercer, an Olympic gymnast from the UK and Wellfit’s Head Coach for Girls’ Gymnastics, explains why gymnastics is one of the most beneficial sports to take part in at any age and skill level.

Gymnastics schools and clubs in the Emirates offer artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, acrobatics, trampoline, and tumbling. I’ve served as Head Coach for the UAE National Gymnastics Team at the Special Olympics since 2018. The country has the potential and infrastructure to host major championships in the future.
We’ve just opened our gymnastics club at Wellfit JVC which is state-of-the-art and welcomes all levels. The UAE’s Special Olympics gymnasts Laila Labib, Josie McIntyre, Alina Siddiqi and Ruby Hamilton are currently training at Wellfit Gymnastics for the Special Olympics World Championships Berlin 2023 this June! Our Special Olympics gymnasts also won top three medals at the Special Olympics World Championships Abu Dhabi 2019.
I’ve also been training the UAE’s top junior gymnast at Wellfit since 2020 – she has been competing and winning most UAE and GCC artistic gymnastics titles! Next spring, we’re headed to the global championships.
Gymnastics is an incredible start to a child’s life as well as a gateway to numerous sports. Early childhood participation in gymnastics offers a range of physical, mental, and social benefits that help children develop healthy habits, improve overall wellness, and promote long-term success in life. It’s vitally important for children to gain balance and coordinate within themselves – gymnastics aids this possibility. It makes them more aware of their body and what their capabilities are, whether going to go on to do gymnastics as a sport or a heading towards a different direction later in life.
There’s no reason to believe that the GCC won’t reach the professional participation level of Europe and North America with continued support and awareness. UAE fitness clubs have raised the profile of gymnastics in the country and we’re now attracting top international gymnasts and trainers from around the world!

Gymnastics is a sport for both genders
Gymnastics develops tremendous strength and agility. Although gymnastics often has more female participants than male, it is not a feminine sport. Footballers popularly turn to gymnastics to help them with flexibility and dexterity. Gymnastics helps younger and older children of both genders develop their cognitive skills, such as concentration, problem-solving, and memory. As children practice different gymnastics movements and routines, they are required to remember sequences of movements and make quick decisions on how to execute them effectively.

Gymnastics facilities are welcoming
Gymnastics coaches in the UAE are friendly and supportive. Our gymnastics programs and facilities at Wellfit are particularly hospitable, colorful and inspirational. Coaches take on a nurturing tole when teaching safety and discipline while putting children’s welfare first. There’s even a viewing gallery for parents and siblings to watch overhead. A variety of age-appropriate equipment such as balls, hoops, cones, and balance beams all help children develop their physical skills, while games, music, and other interactive activities help them stay motivated.

Gymnastics is safer than you think
When the facilities are correctly designed and coaches and trainers are experienced and internationally certified in instruction along with first aid, there’s actually nothing risky about gymnastics. You’re in safe hands. Even our receptionists at Wellfit are first aid certified! Gymnastics involves movements such as jumping, rolling, tumbling, swinging, balancing, and flipping – it’s playful yet disciplined and lies within a structure. It provides excellent posture, agility, flexibility and coordination along with endurance, concentration and a sense of achievement.

Gymnastics benefits people of determination
The structure and predictability offered by gymnastics programs is proven to soothe and engage children on the spectrum who might struggle with sensory processing that otherwise impacts their ability to regulate emotions and participate in daily activities. A sensory-rich gymnastics environment with balance beams, trampolines and foam pits allows children to engage in activities that provide tactile and proprioceptive input and develop better sensory integration and regulation. My 10-year-old client who was absolutely terrified of heights soon began walking confidently along a 4-foot-high, 4-inch-wide beam without any fear whatsoever!

Gymnastics teaches discipline and time management
The time management you learn from gymnastics may actually help develop consistent studying habits along with confidence, self-esteem and perseverance while providing an excellent balance in terms of mental and physical discipline. Gyms like ours prioritize schoolwork too, which is why there’s a designated study area for our young gymnasts and their siblings to catch up on homework.

Gymnastics is a social sport
There’s a strong team element with cheering one another on and developing sportsmanship. Children enjoy making new friends during gymnastics. They enjoy social interaction with other children of a similar age in a fun, safe environment while learning to work in groups, taking turns, and cooperating with others. Through these interactions, children can learn valuable social skills such as communication, teamwork, leadership and resilience as they overcome challenges and achieve their goals.

It's never too early to start gymnastics
Children are naturally flexible from infancy and gymnastics programs at Wellfit can start as early as eighteen months. There is no competition element in the Winstrada Gym Tots & Pre-school environment and it focuses on developing gross motor skills, followed by CanGym for age 5. Parents enjoy bonding with their toddlers at obstacle stations and bouncing gently on trampolines. It also helps develop gross motor skills like crawling, rolling, and walking, and fine motor skills such as hand-eye coordination and finger dexterity. Movement patterns and sequences involved help toddlers and preschoolers develop spatial awareness and give them a chance to interact and play with others their age in a structured and supervised setting.

It's never too late to start gymnastics
Adults of both genders can enjoy recreational gymnastics too and try it out for the first time. Adults who train with CrossFit often turn to gymnastics for handstands and more – it’s a crossover sport in many ways and very enjoyable. Understandably, there’s been a growing interest in the sport across age groups and participation levels in recent years.

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