Breathtaking to watch and exciting to perform, gymnastics is one of the most popular sports in Great Britain with an estimated four million people taking part on a regular basis (source ‘Young People in Sport, Trends in Participation, Mori 2002) Performance gymnasts demonstrate amazing skill, exceptional strength and great courage, however Gymnastics is a sport that offers everyone a fun, social and exhilarating activity from babies at 8 weeks old to veterans of 88 years+.
Gymnastics introduces people from a very early age, to the benefits of a healthy life style leading to a huge variety of opportunities of enjoyable and rewarding non-competitive and competitive sport. Taking part in a sport like gymnastics not only gives a huge amount of pleasure to participants but also encourages self-confidence and develops motivated, fit and happy people. Participation in Gymnastics develops body awareness, strength, flexibility, control and co-ordination, which can be drawn upon during other physical activities, sports and in every day life. The diversity of the sport, varying equipment, and a mix of skills and competencies have created a sport that meets the needs of a wide range of participants. For sheer beauty, elegance and sensational displays of strength and courage there are few sports that can match gymnastics. Under the overall description of Gymnastics lie the individual disciplines.

• General Gymnastics

Open to all ages and abilities, General Gymnastics covers the full spectrum of the sport of gymnastics from pre-school through to all levels of recreation, displays and festivals. The Gymnaestrada is a World Festival that takes place every four years. General Gymnastics can also be competitive, e.g. Floor and Vault competitions and events for Veterans 

Pre-school Gymnastics
Play is a serious business; it should be a fun, enjoyable activity, which stimulates the development of mind and body. A good pre-school gym experience can provide social, physical, lingual & intellectual, creative & emotional awareness and improve concentration, competence & confidence. The British Gymnastics ‘FUNdamental movement for early years' programmes range from ‘FUN 4 Baby' through to the ‘Independent learner' improving balance, co-ordination, social and educational skills providing under 5's with a quality physical movement experience. Participants learn how to use different objects to help them practise basic skills such as crawling, walking (running) rolling, hopping, jumping, throwing and catching. They are encouraged to use imagination on adventures, in fairy stories and listening and moving to nursery rhymes, songs and music.

Gymnastics and Movement for People with Disabilities (GMPD)
Gymnastics for people with disabilities is an adaptation of mainstream gymnastics covering all disciplines and can be recreational or lead to competitive opportunities. British Gymnastics have been developing a programme for disabled gymnasts starting with motor activities for those with more severe mobility problems, leading on to a foundation programme for more able gymnasts. The disability groups can be split into four major categories as follows: Learning, Physical, Hearing, and Visual Impairments. Currently a motor activities programme is being developed which will provide a framework through which even the most profoundly disabled gymnast can participate. A competitive programme has been established in Men's Artistic, Women's Artistic, Trampoline Gymnastics, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Acrobatic Gymnastics and Aerobic Gymnastics.
 

• Women's Artistic

 
Women's Artistic Gymnastics is probably the most well known branch of the sport and one of the biggest crowd pleasers at the Olympic games. It is an exciting, aesthetic, yet extremely demanding discipline incorporating Vault, Asymmetric Bars, Beam and Floor.
VAULT - This is a dynamic exercise from a springboard over a vaulting table. It demonstrates power and accuracy combining height and length, sometimes with multiple rotations or twists to finish with a controlled landing.
BARS - This exercise is performed on two bars, one high, one low, over and between which swinging movements are performed and breath-taking skills where the gymnast releases and re-catches the bar.
BEAM - An awe-inspiring piece of apparatus at 16ft long and only 4" wide it requires tremendous nerve and balance. The exercise combines artistry, acrobatic elements, balances, leaps, jumps and turns, finishing with a dismount demonstrating flight and precision landing.
FLOOR - The floor exercise is performed on a 12m x 12m sprung floor. A sequence of dance movements, tumbling, acrobatic elements, jumps, spins and leaps is choreographed to music expressing the gymnasts personality, style and flair. 

• Men's Artistic

Men perform on six pieces of apparatus for the Olympic discipline of Men's Artistic Gymnastics. This discipline offers a variety of exercises for men and boys regarded by many as the most technically demanding of all sports. Each of the six pieces of apparatus require agility, strength, balance and co-ordination.
FLOOR - This exercise includes tumbling, balance and strength skills and is performed on a sprung 12m x 12m floor.
POMMEL HORSE - This exercise includes smooth, continuous pendulum type swings and circling movements of the legs. All parts of the horse should be used with a combination of double leg circles and scissor movements. It is generally regarded as the most difficult apparatus to master.
RINGS - These routines include a variety of movements demonstrating strength support and balance. Gymnasts perform swings and holds requiring considerable strength with both forward and backward elements finishing with an acrobatic dismount.
VAULT - This is a dynamic exercise from a springboard over a vaulting table. It demonstrates power and accuracy combining height and length, often with multiple rotations at the highest levels to finish with a controlled landing.
PARALLEL BARS - A combination of swinging elements and balances are performed between and across the bars whilst gymnasts travel along the bars and work both above and below the bars.
HIGH  BAR - Using swinging and flight movements at 2.55m high this piece of apparatus is considered one of the most spectacular aspects of gymnastics.
 

• Trampolining

This exhilarating sport includes individual and synchronised events as Olympic disciplines both requiring a routine of 10 elements, starting and ending on the feet.  The competitions are made up of three routines - the preliminary round where gymnasts compete a compulsory / set exercise, and a voluntary piece followed by a final round voluntary exercise.
Double Mini Trampoline is a sub discipline within the sport.  Gymnasts compete in four passes, two preliminary and 2 finals.  Each pass consists of two skills, the first performed on the apparatus followed by the dismount onto a landing mat.
Internationally, Tumbling is also part of the Trampolining discipline, however within the UK it sits with the Acrobatic Gymnastics family.  Tumbling is a highly spectacular sport requiring a combination of speed, rhythm, spatial awareness, coordination, power and strength.  Gymnasts perform a series of eight elements including straight and twisting somersaults along a 25m track.

• Rhythmic Gymnastics

Rhythmic gymnastics, another of the Olympic disciplines, develops grace, coordination, agility and artistry. In this graceful, elegant and balletic discipline gymnasts perform routines on a floor square to music using hand apparatus: ropes, balls, hoops, clubs and ribbons.
There are two types of Rhythmic competition - individual events and group exercises. Exercises include body skills of steps, turns, pivots, flexions, balances, jumps, leaps and body waves and at the same time the gymnast swings, circles, throws and catches the various pieces of hand apparatus.
 

•  Acrobatic Gymnastics and Tumbling

A dramatic visual discipline popular with spectators, Acrobatic Gymnastics includes partnership work on the floor where there are five categories of competition, women's pairs, men's pairs, mixed pairs, women's trios and men's fours. This discipline is both physically and psychologically demanding. It involves gymnasts working closely together, building up trust and responsibility for each other and developing skills in balance and dynamic elements. Acrobatic Gymnastics combines the skill and activity of the gymnast, expressive movement and artistry of a dancer and the courage and excitement of the acrobat.
 

•  Aerobic Gymnastics

The newest of the gymnastics disciplines, this fast, eye-catching sport can be performed individually or in groups, mixed or single sex. Routines are performed wearing trainers to energetic music on a wooden sprung stage 7m x 7m (10m x 10m for Groups).
It offers a great challenge to the gymnasts' fitness. It tests their cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, and power as well as demanding a high level of co-ordination and rhythm. Throughout the routine gymnasts must appear enthusiastic and up beat and demonstrate a high level of skill combined with complex aerobic dance steps. Skills are selected from each ‘family' of elements presenting dynamic and static strength, flexibility, balance and jumps.

•  TeamGym

 A discipline for men and women of all ages. Gymnasts work in teams of between 6 and 12 people. Teams compete on three pieces of apparatus - a syncronised Floor Exercise, Trampette and Vaulting and  Tumbling.  Each routine is performed to muisc, making this a dynamic, fun and spectacular discipline.

•  Cheerleading

 A new discipline in the gymnastics family attracting com,petitiors of all ages who work togather to create an exciting floor exercise combining dance with the skills and elements from other aspects of gymnastics including partner work, group work and tumbling.