Parents Spin off of Press Handstand - Parents what can you do?

[mommyof1]

At a Girl Scout event this weekend the girls were doing cartwheels on the grass. Another mom and I freaked out one of the teen helpers by joining in. "I didn't know adults could do that!" she exclaimed.

Once in a while I hop on my daughter's folding floor beam when she is not looking. I can land a beat jump, a lousy split leap, most of the time a full turn, and occasionally a cartwheel. On the floor I can still do a passable roundoff. I can kick up into what I think is a vertical handstand but haven't tried to hold one since we don't have a mat and I am afraid of going over. I tried a bridge walk when my daughter started doing them; I could do it, but it was probably a very bad idea. I have no access to a spring floor or bars so I haven't tried anything else. I managed to hold on to my splits until my daughter came along and I no longer had time to stretch (or really to work out at all). I am highly embarrassed that my 6-year-old can do multiple pull-ups unassisted and I can no longer do even one without resting my feet on something.

 

[htimcj]

I am in the camp of my feet must be firmly planted on the ground at all times DD laughs at me!

 

[suebee]

DD (5) was very excited to find out that I can do a nice cartwheel and handstand! My roundoff did not look so good, though, and she tried to give me some helpful advice. I used to be extremely flexible and do splits easily, even as a younger adult, but that's definitely gone by the wayside with age.

She thought it was very funny when I groaned terribly after holding a bridge for only a few seconds and then said I would never do that again.

 

[LIGYMMOM]

I was a gymnast back in the day (early 80's) and can still remember bits of my Class 3 floor and beam routines! Does anybody else remember classes, before they turned into levels? DD just laughs at me. In my 20's I could still do back handsprings...then I had kids. Now, handstands and cartwheels is where it stops and even then, my back starts reminding me that I am certainly not in my 20's anymore! If I do a forward roll, I get dizzy! When I was DD's age I swore I would never stop flipping.

 

[twisting007bigflip]

I might not qualify for this conversation, because I'm not only a parent...i coach a group of compulsory kids...I'm turning 34 tomorrow. I used to do stuff on the beam and vault when I was still in my 20's...like I got my press handstand on the beam when I was 27. And could still do a back walkover on beam and tsuk until I was 30 - that was the last time I tried.
I can still do an aerial cartwheel, and a compulsory dismount on beam and full turns...split jumps, those things. And some months back, dd and I were messing around after open gym. (This was right before her nasty bout with Severs, so probably close to valentines day) I got on the trampoline and cranked out several fulls (yes, I have video, and yes, my form is embarrassing ) so after I did some backward fulls, I decided to try some front fulls and found out that it's like ridin a bike! I was able to get several front fulls and even a few front 3/2's! Dd was like, "wait, what??!! MOM!!" We had a complete blast tht day. I hadn't ever thought of trying anything like that since it had been like 15 years since I had tried it. Will be a long time (if ever) before I do them again. I miss being young and in gymnastics shape!

(And when I say "tsuk until I was 30" the disclaimer is that I was able to tsuk into a pit)

 

[Jenny]

I was a gymnast back in the day (early 80's) and can still remember bits of my Class 3 floor and beam routines! Does anybody else remember classes, before they turned into levels? DD just laughs at me. In my 20's I could still do back handsprings...then I had kids. Now, handstands and cartwheels is where it stops and even then, my back starts reminding me that I am certainly not in my 20's anymore! If I do a forward roll, I get dizzy! When I was DD's age I swore I would never stop flipping.

that is exactly me too down to the exact skills. And jumping on the tramp has to be limited!

 

[Iwannabemargo]

OMG - no trampolining for me unless I am FULLY prepared. Small Boy asked me if I was entering the parents competition at his first trampolining comp - Oh boy, after having him I think not ( he was 11lb 13 3/4 oz)

 

[Jenny]

woah I thought 9lb was a bit much. Holy leg crossing that is huge.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

he was eye watering , but then Big Boy was 9lb 5 1/2 oz and Pink and Fluffy was 9 lb 10oz - I blame their father, I was only 7lb !

 

[wgagym]

I am also a former gymnast and coach, but i can still do a R/O BHS BT, FHS's, FT's, a kip among other bar skills, and I did a tsuk into the pit a few years ago. Beam is all basic stuff. I hated beam as a gymmie, therefore it scares me as an adult I figure not to bad after having 3 kids! I love being able to shock my girly's when I am showing them skills.

 

[OzZee]

ummmmmm nothing!

 

[GymMomXcel]

I can do a handstand, but don't hold it all the time. I can cartwheel and round off, but the round off isn't necessarily pretty...at least it doesn't feel like it! I can do a bridge. I can almost do the splits.. Farther with 1 leg than the other. Not the middle! I'm working on a pullover, but need a spot. Can do a BHC with spot, piking sometimes, though I can do a vault where I straight jump onto the mat. Or, at least I could... I sprained my ankle in June and can't do impact stuff yet. I haven't tried much if anything on beam except for releve walks and kicks.

I'm working on flexibility and losing weight. Excited to see what I can accomplish with 20+ pounds less to throw around!

 

[leotardmakermum]

In my head, I can do the most amazing skills. But that's where it's all going to stay - in my head.

Last time I tried a cartwheel - quite some number of years ago - I pulled all sorts of muscles between my legs. Don't think I'll bother trying that again...

 

[J&A's mom]

Before kids I could do up to robhs on floor. Bars I would say mill circle, lol. Beam I could still do cartwheels. Never really could vault anyway. After first child, cartwheels and roundoffs, pullovers, etc. after second child, lol. I am a good spectator!

 

[iwannacoach]

What if everyone went out and got the most gymnasticy avatar possible. Then we could let the avatars compete while we sat back and relaxed.........

Really wouldn't want to go out and compete in this condition.Not when I could instead go out looking prepared and ready like these steely eyed competitors...

Or a fiercely focused group like these two.......

And these two look like they'd mop up a chalk crusted mat with any of us.....

I think the better idea is for all of us to go into hidi......eeeerr... uh, training. Yeah, that's what I meant.... really!

 

[mom2three]

DD (5) was very excited to find out that I can do a nice cartwheel and handstand! My roundoff did not look so good, though, and she tried to give me some helpful advice. I used to be extremely flexible and do splits easily, even as a younger adult, but that's definitely gone by the wayside with age.

She thought it was very funny when I groaned terribly after holding a bridge ti for only a few seconds and then said I would never do that again.

When DD was on preteam and first, starting learning bridges, she asked me to do it. I thought "no problem, I used to do this all the time." But never after children. So I did it and it felt like I pulled every abdominal muscle I owned. Never tried again! But I still have some killer splits and cartwheel.

 

[dani4]

I went to a trial adult class back in June, and it was a lot of fun. I never took a real gymnastics class as a kid, but used to play with kids who did gymnastics and they would teach us tumbling stuff. Anyway in this class I did about 300 cartwheels during the warmup and tried doing the opposite side for the first time (never realized people did that! duh!). I spent more time in handstands than I ever did before. And the most fun part was working on a front handspring, though not quite landing on my feet.

Never went back, because it took 6 weeks for my right hamstring to recover from all those cartwheels! I keep thinking I might sign up for a whole session, but I'm kind of chicken and I'd rather stick to what I know won't kill me at this point. I like watching my kids in gymnastics, that's enough for me now.

I'm 38, btw.

 

[Flossyduck]

I can do a handstand against the wall and I did a couple of cartwheels on the beach in summer, which felt beautiful and straight to me so I can't imagine why dd was wetting herself laughing when the world stopped spinning and I recovered my balance...

I used to have nice splits and was disappointed to find that, even with the assistance of the slippy tiles on the kitchen floor, the best I can do is about a foot off the ground these days. And that hurt for quite a long time...

I've never been on a beam or bars or anything like that, but little kids do it, so how hard can it be?! For me, ignorance is bliss in that respect as well as dignity roughly intact.

 

[iwannacoach]

I used to have nice splits and was disappointed to find that, even with the assistance of the slippy tiles on the kitchen floor, the best I can do is about a foot off the ground these days. And that hurt for quite a long time....

Geez Flossyduck, I would have hoped for much more from one with such gymnastics acumen. I'm not talking about the result of your attempted split, as you deserve kudos for having tried so valiantly.

My concern stems from how you attempted this feat of futility because there is, as you're well aware by now, a proper time and place for everything. To your credit, you totally "nailed" the lplace, and I'm certain your wisdom and foresight will be recorded for eternity in the annals of Chalkbucket.

The thing is, I can't imagine how you cleverly determined the best possible place (tile floor + splits = epic), but showed so little imagination with regard to timing. I'll help fill the gap in strategy with this advisory I give those with similar urges who've advanced to a certain age.....

1. Psychiatric care may help.

2. Schedule a visit to our doctor and wait to try the splits until the morning of the appointment. Better still....

3. Take advantage of the next occasion you leave the doctor or dentist with a legitimate prescription of pain killers. Take the maximum recommended dose and then prepare a nice warm bath with lavender and rose essential oils. Next, take the time to write and sign an advanced medical directive..... you know, just in case.

Now you're well prepared and have the best chances of making it to within 3 inches of the floor. Remember to breathe deeply, focus on the pain being managed by the prescribed medication, and only then is it reasonably safe to slid your legs into a position that if seen outside of ballet, figure skating, and gymnastics would prompt mental images of disaster aftermath.

Whoops! I forgot to have you set a camera on automatic timer to record your efforts, because that's a photo opp you don't want to miss.

Send me an 11 X 14 autographed copy.

Now slid into that warm bath and pray you never try one of these again.

 

[Flossyduck]

Ok, Now I've just been on a very rare night (like twice a year at best) out with my other half, which involved dancing and plenty of alcohol, so I' m giggling away to myself here I Wanna Coach. And I'm also almost tempted to attempt the splits again, given that alcohol gives you superpowers and also numbs pain, but getting a Dr out on a Sunday is a big deal here... so I'm just gonna go to bed! Thank you for that though... I am still giggling as I go to bed.