Your daughter began to engage in rhythmic gymnastics and immediately a lot of questions arose: what to wear for training, what items and accessories are needed in the first year of classes, what costume to buy for performances? We will try to help you figure out what needs to be done so that your novice gymnast's classes take place in the best conditions. You can also consult a trainer before purchasing any of the items we recommend.
Clothing for rhythmic gymnastics.
First of all, you need to get comfortable workout clothes. Even if your girl does gymnastics only 2 times a week, she should be comfortable. A short or sleeveless leotard for summer or a long sleeve leotard for winter is the best outfit for gymnastics, as it licks the body tightly. When your gymnast does various exercises, such as a bridge, swinging her arms, swinging her legs, jumping, nothing will interfere with her, and her stomach will not be exposed. You should not buy a leotard with a skirt, as this will only prevent the trainer from seeing the muscles. It is better to purchase short (or long - on winter period) bondage pants and wear them over a swimsuit or special tights without a bottom and put them under a swimsuit. For adult gymnasts, it is recommended to wear tights, and short pants on top. It looks beautiful and elegant, and at the same time, the trainer can see all the muscles in the legs. Senior gymnasts may wear a sleeveless or sleeved bonded jersey instead of a leotard, and in addition wear different length bonded pants.
We recommend purchasing an elastic belt. It is put on at the beginning of the workout, the back is warmed up during the warm-up and remains warm throughout the workout. If the gymnast has left the gym for a while (to the toilet) or simply does not do back exercises, the back may cool down, and a warm elastic belt will keep warm and allow the gymnast to continue performing flexibility exercises without additional warm-up. Also, the elastic belt helps with pain in the lumbar region, muscle pain for older girls, as well as for those who do not play sports. There is a belt for everyone.
In winter, it is advisable to wear leggings for training. They warm the muscles of the legs and ligaments in the area of the knees and ankles, so the gymnast's legs remain warm, thereby increasing the elasticity of the tendons, muscles and ligaments and reducing the likelihood that the gymnast will be injured in case of an unsuccessful jump landing or twisting of the leg.
Rhythmic gymnastics shoes.
To practice rhythmic gymnastics, you do not need to purchase gym shoes and ballet slippers! It is inconvenient to do gymnastics in such shoes. V rhythmic gymnastics half shoes are used. There are several types of half shoes.
The simplest leather half shoes for rhythmic gymnastics. They fit well and are inexpensive to use during simple workouts. There are also half shoes of various brands that adorn the foot, allow the gymnast to easily perform turns, are very strong and do not break for a long time. We advise you to choose the best half shoes for your daughter separately for training and for performances.
Half shoes from SASAKI fit very nicely on the foot, it is advisable to purchase them for competitions. The 144SP is a classic with a deep cut. Model 147 - for gymnasts with long toes, that is, these half shoes completely cover the toes. Half shoes SASAKI - socks. They fit the foot so tightly that they are practically invisible. Feeling that the gymnast is performing barefoot. A great solution for gymnasts who want to hide imperfections in the foot or simply for those who love comfort. Half shoes from CHACOTT are of two types. Classic model - fits perfectly on the leg, takes the shape of the foot within 3 days. Model "Strech" - at the bottom there is a regular strong sole as in the classic model, and on the top there is lycra fabric, which makes the foot more attractive.
There are also DaMa models - the "Platinum" model is made of very strong leather, which allows using these half shoes for a relatively long time, and the leather takes the shape of the foot and shines, which decorates and completes the gymnast's costume.
Rhythmic gymnastics equipment for beginners.
If your gymnast is 5-7 years old and you want to buy equipment for training, first of all you must decide why you are purchasing this or that item. If just for playing at home and for getting high, you need non-professional items, their price ranges from NIS 20 to 65, such as a simple plastic hoop, a simple ball for practicing in circles, a simple rope skipping rope, a regular ribbon with a stick. If you want to teach your child from childhood to high-quality objects that allow your novice gymnast to hold the apparatus correctly, without unnecessary effort, and learn the technique of using the apparatus with the apparatus that is most convenient for him, you need professional equipment for kids.
The ball for rhythmic gymnastics at the age of 5-8 years is available from the firm C and C (a very small ball - suitable for girls aged 5-6 years with a small palm). The ball for an older age, 9-10 years old, exists at the company CH and the German company TOGU. Ball for professionals - firm C and Ch.
The ball must be stored in a case in order to keep it from scratches in the bag, as well as to maintain temperature. When the air temperature drops in winter, the ball may deflate. It can be pumped up with a pump. There are two types of pumps. Professional pump for rhythmic gymnastics balls. It is easy to use. Any girl or coach can inflate the ball in 1 minute without any effort. Our recommendation: Before piercing the nipple with a needle, moisten the needle or nipple with saliva so that the penetration is soft and does not damage the nipple.
On the last Saturday of October, the All-Russian Gymnastics Day is celebrated. This year it fell on October 25th. In honor of the holiday, we decided to remember the most beautiful Russian gymnasts.
Yana Batyrshina
Honored Master of Sports of Russia, presents rhythmic gymnastics in individual exercises. The girl began to practice gymnastics at the age of 5, and already at the age of 12 she passed the most difficult selection for the national team of the Uzbek SSR. After the collapse of the USSR, the family moved to Russia, and at competitions Yana played for our country.
From big sport Batyrshina left at the age of 19, and a year later she became the head coach of the Brazilian rhythmic gymnastics team. In general, during her sports career, the girl won 180 medals and more than 40 cups. In addition, Yana worked on television, where she hosted sports programs. In her personal life, the gymnast is also doing well - Yana is married to the famous producer Timur Weinstein, from whom she gave birth to two daughters.
Alina Kabaeva
Alina, now 31, remains one of the sexiest and most desirable female athletes. Just like Yana Batyrshina, Alina was born in Tashkent. She began to take her first sports steps at 3.5 years old, and at the age of 12, Kabaeva moved to Moscow with her mother to train with Irina Viner.
At the age of 12, Kabaeva moved to Moscow with her mother to train with Irina Viner.
She has been playing for the Russian national team since 1996 and has won many awards. She stopped sports activities in 2007. After completing her sports career, Alina did not quit high life, at one time she often flashed on television, was filmed for magazines. In 2007 she became a deputy of the State Duma, and seven years later she left this post. The media actively discussed Kabaeva's personal life, in particular, there were rumors about her affair with President Putin. True, there was no confirmation of this information.
Three songs are dedicated to Alina: "A play on words" - "Alina Kabaeva", Murat Nasyrova - "Don't cry, my Alina!" and Maxim Buznikina - "Alina is half of my destiny."
Evgeniya Kanaeva
The mother of this native of Omsk was a master of sports in rhythmic gymnastics, but her grandmother brought the girl to sports. At the age of 12, Evgenia was invited to a training camp in Moscow as part of a group of young gymnasts. After the first serious performance, Kanaeva was noticed and invited to train at school Olympic reserve... She, like many successful Russian gymnasts, was taken under her wing by Irina Viner. During her sports career, Zhenya almost always won gold, and Laysan Utyasheva once said about her: "Kanaeva is Chashchina and Kabaeva taken together."
In 2012, the young gymnast completed her sports career, a year later she married hockey player Igor Musatov, and a year later she became a mother. What Evgenia is doing now is not known for certain. Most likely, he fulfills his dreams: learns to draw, play the piano, master foreign languages and a computer, and also brings up a son.
Lyaysan Utyasheva
At first, the parents wanted to give Laysan to the ballet, but by chance, in the line at the store, the girl was noticed by the gymnastics coach Nadezhda Kasyanova, noting the extraordinary flexibility of the joints. Since then, the girl has been doing gymnastics. At the age of 12, Laysan moved to Moscow, and two years later she received the title of master of sports. The gymnast has won many awards, but in April 2006 she was forced to end her sports career.
After completing her career, Laysan became a sports commentator and TV presenter, and also starred in several TV series. Now Utyasheva happily lives in marriage with the resident of the Comedy Club Pavel Volya, brings up her son Robert and broadcasts on the TNT channel "Dances".
Irina Chashchina
The girl began to do gymnastics at the age of 6, and at 12 she became a member of the Russian national team. While still a junior, Irina took first place at the CIS Spartakiad and twice in a row won the Russian championship among girls. At the age of 17, Irina was noticed by Irina Viner, who began to raise an Olympic champion from a gymnast. Together with Alina Kabaeva, Chashchina became a star of rhythmic gymnastics, her name thundered all over the world. But in 2001, there was a doping scandal, the gymnast lost her awards and was disqualified for two years from the sport.
Together with Alina Kabaeva, Chashchina became a star of rhythmic gymnastics, her name thundered all over the world.
After completing her sports career, Chashchina began to develop other projects. The gymnast took part in several creative projects ("Circus with the Stars" and "Dancing on Ice"), wrote a book, opened her own school of rhythmic gymnastics and more than once starred for the Russian version of Maxim magazine.
It is worth noting that Chashchina is not free - in 2011 she married Dmitry Medvedev's friend, businessman Yevgeny Arkhipov. The couple have no children yet.
Margarita Mamun
Margarita is only 18 years old, but she has already managed to shock the world of sports with her achievements in gymnastics. At the age of seven, together with her sister, Rita began attending the gymnastics section, and at the age of eleven she began to consciously prepare for a career as a gymnast. Mamun achieved her first big successes in 2011, when she became the champion of Russia in exercises with clubs, a ball and a hoop, and in 2013 she consolidated her results. Interestingly, because of her origin, Irina Viner calls Rita the "Bengal Tiger". (She is half Russian, half Bengal. Her father is from Bangladesh). Many people compare the girl with Evgenia Kanaeva, only Mamun herself does not see any similarities, except for her love of gymnastics.
Carolina Sevastyanova
At the age of 5, my mother brought Carolina to the rhythmic gymnastics school. In the first month of classes, children were assessed, promising were selected. The girl did not pass the selection, she was not taken to school. Only here Carolina did not forget about gymnastics and at all costs decided to become a gymnast. Later, the girl got into sports Complex, where they took everyone in a row, and after a while she ran into Irina Viner. Since then, Carolina has played in the Russian national team. But after the 2012 Olympic Games, she decided to end her sports career (at the age of 17).
By the way, Sevastyanova was recognized as the most beautiful athlete of the CIS countries at the Games in London. At one time, there were rumors on the Internet about Carolina's romance with the famous hockey player Alexander Ovechkin. The only confirmation of this gossip is the joint photographs of Caroline and Alexander on vacation in Saint-Tropez.
Ulyana Donskova
The victory gave the gymnast strength, and she began to train even harder.
Like Carolina, Ulyana started gymnastics at the age of 5. The first few years of training practically did not bring results, but Ulyana did not retreat. The efforts were not in vain, and in 2000 the girl won the regional championship in the first category. The victory gave the gymnast strength, and she began to train even harder.
The first time a gymnast became the world champion on September 12, 2009 at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Japan. Ulyana will never forget this date! After winning the 2012 Olympics in London, the girl, along with her friend Karolina Sevastyanova, ended her sports career. What Donskaya is doing now is not known for certain.
Yana Lukonina
Little is known about this Russian gymnast. We only know that Yana was born in Ryazan and has played for the Russian national team since 2006. Compared to her colleagues, Lukonina does not have many awards. The injury is to blame for everything, because of which Yana had to quit sports and take up coaching.
However, Jan gets great pleasure from coaching: “I like working as a coach, it is a pleasure to work with children. Responsibility, of course, is felt. In addition to gymnastics, they can ask some everyday questions, ask for advice. Of course, I try to help them ".
Daria Dmitrieva
Another gymnast who has already completed her sports career. Daria began gymnastics at the age of 8 under the guidance of Olga Buyanova, Honored Trainer of the USSR. At the Russian Championship in Rhythmic Gymnastics, held in 2009, Dmitrieva received as many as three medals. That was incredible!
Daria ended her sports career in September 2013 due to an ankle injury.
Daria ended her sports career in September 2013 due to an ankle injury. It was very difficult to make such a decision both for Dmitrieva herself and her coach. But health is the most important thing. Currently, the girl works as a trainer in the rhythmic gymnastics club, passing on her experience to the younger generation.
Each exercise in, and indeed any movement, even in dancing, depends on one very important natural aspect - eversion of the legs. The very concept of eversion is reflected in medical reference books, and is mentioned in methodologies for. But how to understand the degree of eversion of the foot and is it possible to develop this with the help of exercises?
Why do you need to develop eversion and what exercises contribute to its development
In itself, eversion is an effort that is made in order to turn a limb outward. In medicine, this ability is called supination. It is easier to explain the process of eversion using the example of hands - if you stretch your hands in front of you with your palms down, and then turn your palms up, without changing the position of your hands, you can see at what level the supination of the hands is. With the legs, things are a little more complicated.
In order to independently check the eversion of your legs, it is enough to try to stand so that the heels of the feet touch each other with their spur bones. If one foot turns perpendicular to the leg, then the second is unlikely to take the same position.
Immediately upon entering rhythmic gymnastics classes, the future coach checks the eversion of the hip joint. There are several aspects that the eversion will depend on:
It is quite possible to develop eversion because it is not an innate and incorrigible physical quality (only in some individual cases). Developed eversion makes it possible to perform hip abductions with a high amplitude, when the gymnast herself is in the frontal surface in balance.
Here are some simple parterre exercises to improve eversion:
- Sit on the floor with your knees pressed to your chest, and hold your toes with your hands. Tilting the body down, try to straighten the legs, while keeping the feet in an inverted state (as in position I). Take your time to return to starting position.
- Sit on the floor, connect your legs with your feet, and lower your knees along the edges (frog pose). Bring the joined feet as close to the groin as possible. In this case, the body of the body can be tilted forward.
- Similar to the previous exercise, but performed while lying on your stomach. The feet brought together by the soles are attracted to the groin, while the back bends as much as possible and stretches upward.
Among athletes and dancers, there is a concept of "upper" and "lower" eversion. It so happens that one person has an amazing "upper" eversion - when the groin area is perfectly revealed, but there are difficulties with the twisting of the lower extremities - legs, feet, knees. There are also opposite features, but in any case it is worth working on yourself and the ability of your legs to turn out.
Eversion and flexibility
As you can see in the eversion exercises, they are similar to some flexibility and stretching exercises. This is not surprising, because the development of flexibility and leg rotation are closely related.
Static and dynamic exercises, as well as mixed complexes, help to develop flexibility. For a more effective development of flexibility, it is worth considering some factors:
There are 2 main ways of stretching and hanging the level of flexibility. The first is based on multiple repetitions of the exercise, where the range of motion gradually increases. The second method is static, in which not repetitions are important, but keeping a given time in a stretched state. Usually, these exercises are performed with the body completely relaxed.
Strengthening the foot
Of course, all athletes, and especially gymnasts, have legs to be very hardy, trained and flexible. And absolutely all loads must be sustained by one part of the leg - the foot. In order to strengthen your feet, you can use the following exercises:
- Get on your knees, take in right hand right foot and try to pull it as close to the back;
- Make a lunge position - one leg is bent at the knee, the other is laid back and is parallel to the floor. Change the position of the legs with a sharp jump, while not transferring the effort to the back, but working with the legs;
- Sit on the floor with one leg bent at the knee, the other straight. Grab the foot of a straight leg with your hands and lower the body on this leg with maximum opportunity. Pull the sock towards you;
- Fasten the weights at the feet, stand on a small hill with one foot. Go up to the toe and go down on the heel of the leg that is on the dais.
A pleasant bonus in the development of flexibility, eversion and any stretching exercises is that all muscles stretch and keep in good shape - both the press, and the arms, and the buttocks.
Simple but very effective complex
Many years of experience allowed us to select some exercises that work with the greatest benefit on the development of eversion. As already defined, this concept can separate the upper and lower parts of the leg. Depending on the goals, you can focus on certain exercises.
Exercises for the development of upper eversion
Exercises for the development of lower eversion
- Exercise "Fold" - you need to sit on the floor, stretch your legs straight in front of you, place your feet in position I, socks look to the sides. Having wrapped your hands around the toes of your feet, you need to bend your stomach to your hips, pulling your feet to the floor.
- Exercise "Pulling fold" - the starting position is similar to the previous one, only the hand goes under the knee, wraps around the toes. The foot should be pulled towards the floor, but the heel should be pulled up.
- Exercise "Spider" - from a sitting position and with slightly bent knees you need to clasp your toes (passing your hand under the knee). The toe stretches towards itself, the heel forward - you need to try to straighten the leg.
- Exercise "First position" - lying on the stomach, the legs are folded into 1 position, maximally pressing the entire edge of the foot to the floor. You can thread your legs under the sofa or ask someone to press on your feet.
Almost every girl who dreams of winning in rhythmic gymnastics has the potential and opportunities to develop her skills. Therefore, in spite of any comments or refusals to be accepted into the section, you need to practice, increase the flexibility and eversion of the joints.
Rhythmic gymnastics is a kind of sport, a kind of gymnastics, a competition for women in performing combinations of gymnastic and dance exercises with and without an apparatus to music. V recent times performances without apparatus do not take place in world class competitions. Rhythmic gymnastics is one of the most spectacular and graceful sports that arose in the USSR in the 1940s and owes its appearance to the masters of the famous Mariinsky Theater. Since 1984 - olympic look sports. Until recently, exclusively female look sports, however, from the end of the 20th century - thanks to the efforts of Japanese gymnasts, competitions between men began to be held.
Applied rhythmic gymnastics is used in the preparation of athletes in other sports (in artistic gymnastics, acrobatics, figure skating, synchronized swimming), as well as in the training of ballet and circus dancers. Her means are elements of dancing, stretching exercises, waves, swings, jumps, turns, etc.
Rhythmic gymnastics rules
Competitions are held on a 13x13 meter gymnastic mat surrounded by an additional belay area. Modern program international competitions includes all-around (one compulsory and three free exercises with apparatus) and group free exercise with apparatus. In group performances (a group of 6 athletes), either two types of objects are used simultaneously (for example, hoops and balls) or one type (for example, five balls, five pairs of clubs). All exercises are accompanied by musical accompaniment. The choice of music depends on the wishes of the gymnast and the coach. But each exercise should be no more than one and a half minutes. There are some restrictions for projectiles, but they are not significant.
Shells
Skipping rope made of hemp or similar material, does not have a standard length because the length depends on the height of the gymnast.
Hoop made of wood or plastic, inner diameter 80-90 cm.The hoop must weigh at least 300 g.
Ball should be made of rubber or soft plastic. Ball diameter 18-20 cm, weight - not less than 400 g.
ribbon 7 m long, made of satin or similar material. It is attached to a cylindrical stick 50-60 cm long.
Clubs- two bottle-shaped shells of equal length (40-50 cm), ending in a small rounding in the narrow part. Made of wood or plastic. Each weighs at least 150 g. They have a wide part - a body, a narrow one - a neck, and a round tip - a head (maximum diameter - 30 mm).
Requirements for gymnasts
Rhythmic gymnastics is an acyclic, complexly coordinated sport. Exercises of the program represent free movement around the site, which includes elements of dance, plasticity, facial expressions, pantomimes, movements rhythmically coordinated with music without an object and with objects, as well as some elements of simplified stylized acrobatics (semi-acrobatics) in the forms allowed by the competition rules, such like jumps, spins, somersaults, kicks, bends, bends, splits. Thus, the subject of study in rhythmic gymnastics is the art of expressive movement.Rhythmic gymnastics exercises are mainly characterized by voluntary movement control. The actions of a gymnast, freely moving around the site, are only minimally limited by any external, artificially established conditions, in contrast, for example, from the actions of representatives artistic gymnastics... Therefore, one of the main tasks technical training in rhythmic gymnastics it is associated with the art of owning one's body in natural conditions.
The latter circumstance largely determines the structure physical qualities, both necessary for practicing rhythmic gymnastics, and developed by it. Obviously, in rhythmic gymnastics there cannot be a pronounced problem of the development and improvement of such motor qualities as, for example, static strength or speed force muscle shoulder girdle, strength endurance etc.
Of the qualities that play a large role in rhythmic gymnastics, flexibility in all its manifestations stands out - passive, active, extremely developed flexibility in the hip joints and spine (Fig. 1). In addition, the specificity of this sport requires the development and improvement of fine coordination of movements, a sense of rhythm, musicality, and artistry.
Rhythmic gymnastics exercises place significant demands on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems the body involved. This is evidenced by an increase in the heart rate when performing exercises of the classification program to near-limit, significant amounts of oxygen debt and oxygen demand. Training sessions are held at high intensity (during training, the average heart rate is 148 beats / min). In this regard, highly qualified gymnasts are characterized by a high functional level of autonomic service systems.
The complexity of the structure of the motor actions of gymnasts makes it necessary to memorize a large volume of relatively independent movements. This makes demands on the memory of gymnasts, as well as on such qualities as diligence, clarity and completeness of visual representations, accuracy of movement reproduction.
The quality of exercise performance (expressiveness, artistry, etc.) dictates the need for the formation of the ability to self-control and correction of muscle efforts, stability of attention, ability to concentrate and distribute attention, responsiveness, quick thinking, quick wit, self-criticism, perseverance.
One of the essential features of rhythmic gymnastics is the importance of the compositional solution of voluntary exercises. The tendency towards a relative equalization of the technical and functional capabilities of gymnasts, claiming to win prizes in high-ranking competitions, significantly aggravates the competitive struggle, the victory in which begins to be determined by the originality, novelty of the composition of free programs (both in individual and group championships).
Rhythmic gymnastics injury statistics
In a joint work of Spanish, Canadian and American researchers, the injuries of the national rhythmic gymnastics team received in 1 year were retrospectively studied. sports activities... The study involved all 20 gymnasts of the national team, who received a total of 108 injuries over the year, 74 of which were minor and did not lead to skipping training. At the same time, 13 (65%) of 20 gymnasts received injuries that forced them to miss trainings, 4 of them (20%) received serious injuries, which forced them to miss more than 7 days of training. On average, girls trained 26.2 hours per week (SD = 7.5; range 14 to 36 hours).
In another work, Mark R. Hutchinson studied the injuries of elite female athletes on the US rhythmic gymnastics team. His work consisted of two parts. In the first part, a prospective study was carried out - during a 7-week period, any injuries received during training were recorded in 7 gymnasts of the national team. During this period, the athletes conducted 490 training sessions, 34 hours a week, during which 474 complaints were registered. On average, there was 1 complaint from each gymnast per workout, which is much more than in the Cupisti study, since recalculating for 1000 hours gives a huge value (34 hours per week * 7 weeks * 7 gymnasts = 1666 hours of training; / 1666 hours of training = 284.5 injuries per 1000 hours of training). Perhaps so strong difference depends on the conditions for recording injuries. In this study, absolutely all complaints were recorded at the end of each day, 80% of which were minor (severity 1-3 on a 10 point scale). In a retrospective part of the same study, the medical histories of 11 gymnasts of the US national rhythmic gymnastics team were analyzed, covering a 10-month period of sports activity. As a result of the analysis, 46 injuries of the musculoskeletal system were found.
In rhythmic gymnastics, not only acute, but also chronic injuries occur due to frequent and repeated repetitions of the same movements and loads. Chronic injuries are more common than acute injuries in rhythmic gymnastics, according to several studies. According to the results of one of them, acute injuries accounted for 21.4%, chronic - 51.4%. In a New Zealand study, 50% of all injuries rhythmic gymnasts were classified as acute, the remaining 50% as chronic or fatigue.Localization of injuries in gymnasts
The Cupisti study showed that most often acute injuries of artistic gymnasts are localized in the lower extremities - 38% of injuries accounted for the foot and ankle joint, the lower leg and knee joint - 19%, the thigh and hip joint- 15% (72% in total - Fig. 2). Back injuries ranked third in the number of injuries (17%). The authors associate such a high percentage of lower limb injuries with a large number of difficult jumps, as a result of which a gymnast may land unsuccessfully.
The study by Zetaruka and colleagues also showed that in rhythmic gymnastics, the lower extremities accounted for the most injuries (53%), but most of them were mild and did not lead to skipping training. In terms of the number of significant injuries, that is, those that led to missed training, injuries of the lower extremities share the first place with injuries of the back and trunk (Table 1). It is also noteworthy that 16 (80%) of 20 gymnasts complained of lower back pain, for this reason 8 of them had to skip several workouts. Only one gymnast was forced to miss training due to a knee injury, however 9 (45%) gymnasts complained of knee pain during the year.
Another study showed that of all injuries requiring treatment, 39% are in the lumbar and thoracolumbar regions of the spine, of which 24% are acute and 56% are chronic. According to Hutchinson, in a prospective study, 86% of rhythmic gymnasts complained of chronic low back pain, and 25% in retrospective analysis of medical records.
Types and severity of injuries in rhythmic gymnastics
In the Cupisti study, muscle and ligament sprains were the largest number of specific injuries. However, most of all rhythmic gymnasts reported pain of an indefinite typology (Fig. 3). Most of the injuries in this study were classified as mild, only 22 of 47 injuries required medical treatment, in contrast to the control group, where the ratio was 22 of 34. On average, the injuries forced gymnasts to skip 4.1 days of training, and in the control group, recovery from injuries took 4.6 times longer.
In the work of Zetaruka and colleagues, muscle / tendon sprains were the most common injury - 85% of female athletes experienced this problem. Stretching of the muscle-tendon units occurred on the lower and upper extremities, among the latter, most were of a mild nature. However, 25% of gymnasts were forced to miss several workouts due to sprains, most of which were localized on the back of the thigh, groin and ankle. Five gymnasts (25%) had fractures, most of which were localized in the shin (fibula fracture) and foot. One fatigue fracture
was in the lumbar region. Most of the knee pain complaints have been diagnosed as tendonitis. Also in this study, one concussion was recorded, requiring the athlete to rest for a week.The Hutchinson study also showed that the majority of injuries (80%) in rhythmic gymnastics are mild (severity 1-3 on a 10-point scale) and do not affect the training process in any way. Only one injury in the prospective part of this work forced the gymnast to miss 2 days of training. In a retrospective analysis, 10 of 46 injuries were forced to temporarily interrupt training for an average of 11 days (range 2 to 14). One athlete was forced to end her sports career due to chronic lower back pain.
| Table 1- The number, localization and severity of injuries in rhythmic gymnastics at the national level. | |||||
| Lungs1 | Average2 | Serious3 | Total | Total significant | |
| Head and neck | 3 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| Upper limbs | 16 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 3 |
| Lower limbs | 42 | 13 | 2 | 57 | 15 |
| Torso / back | 13 | 7 | 7 | 27 | 14 |
| Total | 74 | 25 | 9 | 108 | 34 |
| 1 - injuries that did not cause skipping workouts 2 - injuries that made you miss up to 7 days of training 3 - injuries that forced to miss more than 7 days of training |
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Risk factors in rhythmic gymnastics
One of the goals of the study by Zetaruka and colleagues was to identify risk factors for injury in rhythmic gymnastics. The results obtained allowed us to assert with confidence that factors such as the duration of classes and the time spent on stretching are closely related to the level of muscle and tendon injuries in gymnasts. It has been shown that each additional hour of rhythmic gymnastics training increases the risk of such injuries by 29%. Those who did not receive such injuries practiced an average of 18.7 hours per week, and those who received 27.5 hours. It has also been shown that every extra minute of stretching per day reduces the risk of injury by 11%. Figure 4 shows the relationship between the duration of stretching per day and the likelihood of getting a muscle-tendon stretch. It follows from the graph that one should not rely on prophylactic protection of stretch marks if its duration is less than 40 minutes a day. Stretching for more than 40 minutes a day dramatically reduces the likelihood of muscle and tendon injury.A study in Sydney shows that 14-year-old ballet dancers have a significant increase in the risk of chronic injury if they exercise for more than 8 hours per week. However, most gymnasts train much more - the sub-elite rhythmic gymnasts of Canada train 9-12 hours a week, the national team of Canada trains 25-30 hours a week. Athletes from the US rhythmic gymnastics team do 34 hours a week. Italian sublet gymnasts train 12-14 hours a week.
Among other risk factors in rhythmic gymnastics, many authors distinguish the so-called female triad - irregular (improper) nutrition, menstrual irregularities and osteoporosis.
... These three interrelated components of the triad are a rather serious syndrome that often occurs in physically active girls and women, which can lead to a decrease in the performance and performance of an athlete, complications in the course of acute and chronic diseases, and even death.Rhythmic gymnasts are subject to strict requirements for slimness and body weight (Fig. 6). Kate Roberts states in her review that the mass fraction of body fat in rhythmic gymnasts should not exceed 5-10%. In various studies, the percentage of body fat in female athletes in this sport has been found to be from 13 to 16%. One study found that rhythmic gymnasts tend to consume only 80% of the calories they need per day. Munoz et al reported that rhythmic gymnasts consume 1,828 ± 500 Kcal per day, which is below the recommended level. According to various sources, the body mass index of gymnasts ranges from 16 to 18 kg / m². According to the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), a person with a body mass index below 18.5 kg / m² is underweight. In girls, being underweight can lead to menstrual irregularities. Menstrual irregularities can manifest themselves in late onset of menarche (first menstruation), primary amenorrhea (absence of menarche by age 16), secondary amenorrhea (cessation of menstruation after menarche is reached), and oligomenorrhea (irregular menstruation or an increase in menstrual periods by more than 36 days). A study by Klentrou and Plyley shows that 79% of 14-year-old Greek gymnasts and 34% of 14-15-year-old Canadian gymnasts have not yet had their menarche. Average age menarche for all gymnasts was 13.8 ± 0.3 years, which is much more than in the control group - 12.5 ± 0.1 years. In another study, the age of menarche was even later - 15 ± 0.9 years (12 ± 1 years in the control group). Menstrual irregularities were reported by 78% of female gymnasts (61% oligomenorrhea and 17% secondary amenorrhea). A study by Zetaruka and colleagues showed that 50% of national gymnasts have menstrual irregularities. Menstrual irregularities lead to premature osteoporosis, which in turn increases the risk of fractures due to weakening bone tissue... Munoz and colleagues studied bone mineral density in artistic gymnasts and found that in the load zone (femoral neck) bone density was increased, however, in the non-stressed area (forearm), the bone density was significantly lower than in the control group, which can be associated with partial resorption
bone tissue in gymnasts.Rhythmic gymnastics was not spared by the problem of doping drugs. To achieve the required body weight, athletes sometimes resort to the help of diuretics - diuretics
that are on the prohibited list of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Dehydration caused by diuretics, as well as inappropriate weight loss techniques, can lead to increased fatigue and muscle spasms, which are also an additional risk factor for injury.Also, the risk factors for injuries in rhythmic gymnastics include improper training technique and methodology (rapid increase in the intensity and frequency of training), a hard surface for training and an imbalance between the antagonist muscles of the lower extremities.
Low back pain in rhythmic gymnasts
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| Rice. 7- Rhythmic gymnastics requires extremely high flexibility and a large range of motion of the spine. |
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| Rice. eight- Spondylolysis followed by spondylolisthesis. |
Among the reasons leading to pain in the lumbar region are called excessive extension of the spine in the lumbar region (Fig. 7). Achieving maximum amplitudes in motion can lead to acute injury. Repetitive excessive extension, flexion and twisting in the lumbar spine can cause micro- and macrotraumas of the vertebrae and intervertebral discs... The most common problems with lumbar spine in gymnasts include spondylolysis, spondylolisthesis, compression fractures, damage to the endplates of the vertebral body and intervertebral discs.
vertebrae. Spondylolysis is a consequence of the cumulation of force effects on the inter-articular arch of the vertebra, exceeding the modulus of elasticity of the bone tissue. At the beginning of the development of the pathological process, spondylolysis is a zone of bone remodeling (Loser's zone), then a fatigue fracture occurs, usually in the inter-articular zone of the arch, which is called the "critical zone". Spondylolysis is a reversible process. Subject to the elimination of excessive force effects, fusion of the fracture zone is possible. Spondylolysis is an independent disease. In some patients (approximately half), spondylolysis is complicated by spondylolisthesis (Fig. 8). ...Treatment: symptomatic, NSAIDs, pain subsides at most after a week. The differential diagnosis is muscle strain. For correct setting the diagnosis requires a thorough study of the mechanism of pain.
Contracture
Muscle spasm is an acute reversible change in muscle fibers without damage to connective tissue due to a violation of biochemical processes - an increase in myostatic tone.
Clinic: sudden appearance, the athlete feels muscle shortening, pain manifests itself without palpation, the pain is not localized.
Treatment: there is no need for specific treatment, but such an injury should always be alarming - perhaps this is a signal of a more serious injury, usually caused by muscle fatigue (what causes muscle fatigue?). Possible risk factors for injury should be corrected, stretching, massage should be done, in the absence of relapses, you can continue training.
Stretching - Grade I
When stretching, irreversible changes occur in some muscle fibers to a state of necrosis
, but the connective tissue elements are not damaged. Ultrasound detects micro-breaks in the fibers.Clinic: occurs suddenly, manifests itself at the peak of the load, pain when stretching, pain is localized on palpation
Treatment: rest, NSAIDs, muscle relaxants, relaxing massage, gradual renewal physical activity after 4–5 days (the intensity of the load is limited by the onset of pain). Full recovery can be judged in the absence of pain during stretching.
Muscle fiber rupture - grade II
They represent irreversible changes in a limited number of muscle fibers, minimal damage to connective tissue elements.
Clinic: sudden appearance, feeling of sharp stabbing pain, spasm, pain when stretching, with a decrease in spasm - pain on palpation
Treatment: rest, ultrasound control twice during treatment, use of growth factors, physiotherapy (first 48 hours - cold, magnetic therapy, then ultrasound, ice massage, TENS), eccentric work taking into account the rule of painlessness. Training loads start at the pool. Workouts begin when the maximum level of load in the pool is reached. The transition to training in the general group is carried out with painless performance of speed exercises.
Muscle rupture - grade III
When a muscle ruptures, multiple damage to muscle fibers and connective tissue occurs, an intramuscular hematoma is formed.
Clinic: sudden onset, severe pain, loss of muscle mobility, slight muscle weakness, spasm a few hours after injury, local pain, but not point pain (up to 4 sq. cm)
Treatment: due to the severity of the injury and the length of the recovery period, we distinguish three stages of treatment
Stage 1 (24-48 hours)
- Primary treatment: cold, compression
- Analgesics
- Muscle relaxants
- General recovery program: diet, psychological training, general physical fitness
- Anti-inflammatory drugs are not used
- Maintaining general fitness
- Endurance - 35-40 min
- Electrotherapy
- TENS, ultrasound
- Muscle relaxants
- Eccentric work (subject to the rule of painlessness)
- Restoring the injured muscle
- At the final stage - a stepwise increasing load for other muscles
- Gradual increase in load
- Exercise bike
- Pool
- Resumption of training activity (taking into account the criteria given in the section "Rupture of muscle fibers"
Knee injuries in gymnasts
A study by Zetaruka and colleagues mentions that most of the knee injuries of rhythmic gymnasts were diagnosed as tendonitis. The most common tendonitis in the knee area is the patellar tendonitis, also called the "jumper's knee", which occurs as a result of prolonged training, multiple jumps and landings, which lead to microtrauma to the structure of the patellar ligament (Fig. 10). Since training takes place too often, microtraumas do not have time to heal and accumulate. All this ultimately leads to inflammation and degeneration of the ligament tissues. Symptoms of patellar tendonitis include pain in the lower part of the patella, especially during exertion (jumping, landing) and bending the knee. The pain, however, can be quite bearable, which often leads to a delay in going to the doctor. This can lead to an aggravation of the disease, the progression of degenerative processes in the ligament tissue and, in the worst case, lead to its rupture. It is recommended to start treatment with conservative methods (rest, cold, anti-inflammatory drugs, special knee pads) and only when they are unsuccessful to apply surgery, which consists in cutting out the diseased part of the ligament.In the literature, it was not possible to find descriptions of knee injuries in rhythmic gymnastics, so we used the method proposed by Kate Roberts - we extrapolated data obtained from ballet dancers. Meuffels and Verhaar describe anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears in ballet dancers. Of the 253 dancers with such an injury, 6 were registered (4 men and 2 women). The authors note that all injuries without exception occurred during landing after jumping - batman in men and grant zete in women (Fig. 11). At the time of landing, the leg was in a supinated position (turned outward), which created a hallux valgus
knee stress is a classic ACL injury situation. All injured dancers were operated on. It should also be noted that the injury to the ACL is a rather serious injury, and 3 out of 6 dancers subsequently stopped ballet because of this injury. Prevention of this injury consists in focusing the athlete's attention on the movements being performed, training movement coordination, including in the jump phase, preventing excessive leg abduction at the time of landing and minimizing jumps that require outward rotation immediately after landing. This article is intellectual propertyAnkle injuries in gymnasts
1st degree anterior peroneal-talus ligaments;b - distortion of the peroneal-talus and calcaneal-talus ligaments of the 2nd degree;
c - complete rupture of the calcaneal-talus, anterior and posterior peroneal-talus ligaments.
Ankle sprains
Inversion of the foot leads to stretching of the anterior talofibular and calcaneal peroneal ligaments (Fig. 12). In more severe cases, the tibiofibular syndesmosis is also damaged. Damage to the deltoid ligament is much less common. All these injuries, excluding damage to the tibiofibular syndesmosis and deltoid ligament, can be treated conservatively. As for the damage to the tibiofibular syndesmosis, it requires open reduction and internal fixation; in case of a rupture of the deltoid ligament, open reconstruction may be required. The copyright for this article belongs toTreatment includes rest, ice, anti-inflammatory drugs, and a tight bandage to relieve swelling and pain. Immobilization with a plaster cast is not required. Bandaging or various fixing devices (bandages and orthoses) are usually used. To restore full range of motion, you should start with recovery exercises as early as possible. During this phase, you need to be careful and be aware of the increased risk of re-injury due to muscle weakness and reduced proprioception.
.A complication is recurrent subluxation of the peroneal tendons. This disorder, as a rule, does not go away by itself, usually surgical repair of the retainer is required. peroneal muscles as well as a deepening of the peroneal sulcus behind the lateral part of the ankle. This injury can occur on landing when the medial forefoot is on the edge of the mat and the heel loses balance. This leads to supination
and backward bending, which places a load along the peroneal tendon retainer. Acute dislocation may require a plaster cast. Subsequent episodes of peroneal tendon displacement indicate the need for retainer reconstruction.Ankle medial impingement syndrome
Also, gymnasts have medial infringement syndrome (impingement syndrome) of the ankle joint. This syndrome can develop after inversion sprains and fractures of the neck and body of the talus of the ankle, after which incorrect biomechanics of flexion develops, in which the anterior tibial-talus bundle of the deltoid ligament is infringed upon dorsiflexion of the foot, which is located on the medial side of the ankle joint (Fig. .13). Often this syndrome is accompanied by disorders such as osteophyte
talus or damage to the articular cartilage. Vann and Manoli conducted a retrospective study of patients with medial ankle impingement syndrome. In total, 789 case histories were reviewed, collected from 2001 to 2007, of which 115 patients (14.5%) were professional gymnasts. All patients were treated surgically by arthrotomy. 64% of the operated gymnasts returned to their studies.Fractures of the leg and foot are not uncommon. Most often this applies to gymnasts. Fractures usually occur in the distal
parts of the fibula, middle third of the tibia and in the metatarsal bones. For an accurate diagnosis of a fracture of the metatarsal bones, it is advisable to use MRI, because such fractures are usually not visible on radiographs. The best method treatment is rest and a change in activity level.Injuries to the foot in gymnastics
Acute foot injuries are quite common in gymnasts due to repeated landings and include subtalar dislocation of the foot, Lisfranc fracture-dislocation, and other fractures and injuries of the metatarsal and toe ligaments. Dermatological problems often occur. Most often, foot injuries occur when landing or falling from a projectile.Injury of the metatarsophalangeal joint of the big toe
Damage to the metatarsophalangeal joint of the big toe can occur as a result of excessive flexion (Fig. 14) and excessive extension (Fig. 15), which can occur during an unsuccessful fall, as well as when running or jumping. With such an injury, the capsule of the joint and ligaments are damaged, which strengthen it. Excessive flexion can also damage the extensor tendon thumb, which will lead to the appearance of the so-called "hammer finger". Symptoms of trauma are pain in the area of the first metatarsophalangeal joint of the foot, edema, swelling, restriction of movement in the joint. Trauma can be both acute and chronic. In the latter case, the pain is minor and will develop gradually. In acute trauma, an avulsion fracture can occur when the ligament breaks off with part of the metatarsal bone.
First aid for injury includes rest, ice, a tight bandage, and elevation, and the use of unbendable footwear for movement. An avulsion fracture or a complete rupture of a ligament or tendon will require surgical treatment.
Prevention of injuries in rhythmic gymnastics
In accordance with the results obtained, Zetaruka and colleagues in their work propose the following measures to prevent injuries in rhythmic gymnastics:
- The duration of classes for elite athletes should not exceed 30 hours per week, for sub-elite athletes - 20 hours per week
- Stretching exercises should be done for at least 40 minutes a day.
- General physical training should not take gymnasts more than 5-6 hours a week
In order to prevent low back pain, the athlete should be closely monitored for the correct technique and to prevent the development of inappropriate skills that can lead to such pain. Also, you should not force the development of flexibility in young athletes and force them to perform movements with a range for which they are not yet ready. Athletes should undergo continuous medical examination for fatigue fractures in the lumbar region, as well as the lower leg, ankle and foot. Nutrition and weight should be carefully monitored. young gymnasts, prevent and correct menstrual irregularities, potentially leading to early osteoporosis.
References
- Cupisti A, D "alessandro C, Evangelisti I, Umbri C, Rossi M, Galetta F, Panicucci E, Pegna SL, Piazza M. Injury survey in competitive sub-elite rhythmic gymnasts: results from a prospective controlled study... J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2007, vol. 47, no. 2, pp. 203-207.
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