Flexibility is built between classes, not just during them. Ten minutes a few times a week adds up fast — and it's a nice thing to do together. Here's how to help your gymnast do it safely.
What parents actually do.
Your job isn't to push, pull, or press. It's to:
- Set a timer and count the holds out loud
- Watch that both sides get equal time
- Check they're breathing instead of holding their breath
- Notice if they look uncomfortable and call it there
Never push down on your child's back, sit on their legs, or press them deeper into a stretch. Assisted stretching belongs in the gym with a coach who's trained for it. At home, your gymnast moves themselves and you supervise.
Before you start
Three minutes of moving around first — marching, star jumps, arm circles, running on the spot. Stretching cold muscles is where injuries come from.
The rules, in kid language
- Go until you feel a gentle pull, then stop
- Hold still and count to 20 or 30 — no bouncing
- If it hurts, that's your body saying no. Come out of it.
- Do the left and the right the same
Five to start with
- Butterfly sit, straddle sit, pike sit, kneeling lunge, and a shoulder stretch against the wall. Ask your coach to show your gymnast the right shape for each one before you try them at home.
- What to leave for the gym: splits, bridges, and backbends. These need a coach watching and a proper warm-up. Please don't work on them at home
- Make it easy to keep up
- Same spot, same time — after homework, before a bath, during a show. Four short sessions beat one long one every week, and it's far kinder on growing bodies.
Not sure where to start? Ask your coach at pickup for two or three stretches picked for your child's level. They're always happy to show you.
