Parents preschool back bends

[wgagym]

If they were just "bridging" up for a few seconds during a warm-up I would not worry. The issue comes when they are doing lots of bridging as a station or holding them for a long time. I don't even let my older rec kids hold them for stretching longer than 5 secs. Once they get up in higher levels we start working on that flexibility and strength in that aspect.

However, during our preschool class warm-up. I do have my little ones 2's and 3's do baby bridges... hands and shoulders on the floor, push their belly up, and we hold them for 3 secs. My 4's and 5's attempt to push into a bridge on their own and we hold them for a quick 3 secs. But that is it! No bridging in any of the stations or skills that require and bridging. I don't see the point of focusing on that at a young age. There is so much more to develop before this needs to be a concern.

 

[gymdog]

My dd was also doing bridges, bridge kickovers and walkovers at age 4. At my gym they start trying to do them in the beginners class from age 4 and my dd could push all the way up on her first try. She found it really easy and could straigthen her legs and stretch over her hands. I think she might just have natural flexibility and strenght. Is it only harmfull it they are being forced into a bridge without having the strenght and flexibility? If they found it easy to do would it still be harmfull?

They shouldn't be working on it too much either way, but no, pushing up for a few seconds if they find it easy won't likely be harmful. Obviously a blanket statement has to be drawn somewhere and it's not really good for any 4 year olds to be doing walkovers, handsprings again because of the proportions of a developing child. So if 4 year olds not doing bridges is an easy guideline to follow that will keep coaches and parents from pushing kids to do inappropriate skills. But doing it a couple times doesn't mean they will be scarred for life. However, heavy stretching and pulling in these positions is NOT good and that is what would be required to get most (even very talented) 4 year olds to do bridges and walkovers. Not to mention many kids would repeatedly hit their heads because of the arm length thing. Also, the kids are not focused enough to consistently follow ALL the instructions about the correct form and using the shoulders. So developmentally that is why the recommendation is in place.

 

[OzZee]

I keep hearing of oh they would be bored if they couldn't do bridges/back handsprings/walkovers etc. It just isn't done here and the kids aren't bored. They don't see other 4/5 year olds doing it so therefore they don't do it generally.
In the clubs I've seen bridges are introduced from 4.5 to 7 years old , when the child is capable of doing a good bridge by themselves. Walkovers a year or two later, and handsprings after that.

 

[GymBeeMom]

About having fun.....

I have never seen kids do that little bouncey-clappy yay-yippeeee!!! thing, they do when they get exited about something, over the over the prospect of doing backbend work.

About the damage..... from years ago

One of the most "total package" kids I ever coached had spent spent 3 years in the optional level and had finished a great year. She topped off that great year by competing at an an invitational where, to her delight, she finished a about 3 spots out of last place. Yeah, I know a few spots out of last isn't all that great.... except this was limited to 16 kids, and included at least 10 senior/junior elites, 2 or 3 national team members and three future olympians.

This seemed to be the meet that swayed her and her parents toward training with a sense of making it into the elite program. Everything was going great through her summer training until mid August when she started having low back pain.......

It seems, according to the ortho her parents took her to, she'd experienced a number of tiny stress fractures that were likely the result of a condition called spondylolsis that leaves the vertebrae vulnerable to trauma and overuse injury. So likely she'd gotten these many years earlier while growing up and taking gymnastics lessons from a coach who took great pride in her student's ability to do arch related things like back walkovers in place.

Even though this kid hadn't done any backbend work beyond bridges and kicking over out of them while in her adolescent years, the die was cast and she'd had some slippage in her low back and the forces placed on her body by big time skills were just too much. She stopped training immediately and a month later left the gym entirely.

It seems you simply can't win an argument with with mother nature.

My 9 yo DD was at a gym(prior to her current gym) that had her arching from age 3 (we didn't know any better at the time). She now has spondyliothesis. Listen to whats being said about NO ARCHING for the little ones. There will be time for that.

 

[Natasha]

I don't do bridges at all with my little preschool students. I find that the ones that come from other teachers where they have done bridges have a difficult time grasping the backwards roll concept as they want to bridge rather than tuck. There are just way too many other things to do/teach to spend any time on bridges. We do table tops, put one leg up, etc. We also spend lots of time doing a variety of animal movements (from station to station and as races). I also tend to have lots of boys in my classes, so we do a lot of jumping and learning to jump safely as I figure they are going to be jumping at home, parks, etc....

 

[Deleted member D3987]

well.."animal movements". i'll bet the boys spend a lot of time barking then. ours sure do...

 

[Guenhwyvar132]

Thanks everyone.. yes I meant bridges- still learning all the lingo! I'm going to try to observe her whole class on Saturday, and I'll watch and see what they do with the bridges. If they are just letting the kids do them on their own for a few minutes without pulling them up or holding them then I'll just relax about it. If it looks like it might be inappropriate for a 4 year old I will figure out a friendly way to approach the coach and say something about DD being 4. I am actually feeling better about reading these responses so far. They are definitely not working on walkovers or anything crazy like that.

On a positive note, I'm happy that DD is enjoying the pre-team class. She came over from a year in rec and I thought she might not like the more serious nature of the pre-team class. It's still fun but there's a lot more focus on training and fewer games.

I'd love to connect with other preschool gymnast parents! It feels a little obsessive to be on here and reading about the bigger kids when my kids aren't even doing cartwheels, but it's fun and I think I'm not infecting my kids with my mania.

I've got a four year old too. They do bridges but their coach doesn't push them up. Some of the girls can others can't. I figure she's close to 5 and isn't being pushed faster than she's capable of, so we don't stress about it.

 

[mobeans]

I was never able to stop my daughter from doing bridges. She started doing them at 3 or so and was doing walkovers/kickovers at about 4. It reminded me of when my little sister started walking at 8 mos. My aunt commented to my mom and said that was "too young". My mom laughed and said, "What am I supposed to do, knock her down?!" That always resonated in my head with my daughter. She is extremely flexible and can bend practically in half. I told her it wasn't good for her back to be bent all the time but heck I'd walk into the room and she'd be all contorted...what could I do?!

I truly hope she doesn't have back issues one day...but if she does it's truly inevitable.

 

[Jenny]

That is a slightly different issue from being coached on walkovers, backbends and bridges at gym when very young and for long chunks of time.

 

[Dahlia]

I had no idea bridges were bad at this age (my daughter is 4yrs. 3 mos. old). I actually taught her how to do a bridge at home because she wanted to know how. Her class does them every session (2x/week), but only for a count of 3-5. Hopefully she's old enough to not do too much damage if she is doing them on her own. This is the first class she's been in that they've done bridges (the 4-5 year old preschool class only did "tables" where they are up on hands and feet with flat tummy).

 

[KSLaura]

I'd never heard this before. Both my kids did bridges/bridge kickovers at 4. Does anyone have any links/studies I can show to their coaches?

 

[theBananaBunch]

My 5 year old just started pre-team, and they do bridges. I don't think they do them that often though- usually just as warm ups.

 

[dani4]

I was never able to stop my daughter from doing bridges. She started doing them at 3 or so and was doing walkovers/kickovers at about 4...

I truly hope she doesn't have back issues one day...but if she does it's truly inevitable.

I hope so too.. I didn't mention it in my post but my 2.5 year old has been doing bridges spontaneously for a few months. She just likes arching her back and getting upside down (preferably from a height, haha). She is in gymnastics too and they don't do them at all in her class, in fact I know her coach is against bridging preschoolers. I discourage the bridges by getting DD to do something else when she tries them. She only does them with her feet raised because she can't hold herself up otherwise (I mean, she's 2!), so I think she might be ok.

 

[juststartingout]

So is the not under 5 rule due to size, flexibility? A combination of these things? I ask because I have a super tiny 5yo who is about to start gymnastics. Because she is five I'm sure they will bridge. I felt more comfortable with my other daughter doing walkovers at 4 then I do with this daughter even doing a bridge at 5. But at 4 she was a lot more solid than my now 5yo.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

I think its more body proportion and development. Put your arms above your head and see where the top of your head comes ? Just below our elbow ? Now look at your small person. A really small one's head may come up to their wrists. My 9 year old's come up to above her elbows.

 

[gymdog]

I think its more body proportion and development. Put your arms above your head and see where the top of your head comes ? Just below our elbow ? Now look at your small person. A really small one's head may come up to their wrists. My 9 year old's come up to above her elbows.

Yes, overall proportion and development. Some kids aren't ready strength and flexibility wise past 6. But there is also the mental/emotional development of being able to feel and achieve correct, non-dangerous positioning (using shoulders rather than back) consistently. That make other stretches (like seal stretch) more appropriate for preschool age groups.

 

[Jessikazaar]

My 3 year old does bridges... I don't encourage it, she just does it. Doesn't hold them for long, maybe 3 - 5 seconds. She has gone from standing leaning back to bridge with a spotter at her acro class... I never hold her up though. Should I tell her not to do it? She's been doing gymnastics for 1.5 years now, she's very strong (good handstand, push-ups, pull ups etc) but I don't want her to do any damage.

 

[Natasha]

I would be very wary of an acro teacher who is allowing a 3 year old to do backbends.

 

[GymBeeMom]

Please listen to my short story (for those of you who don't already know).

My DD was one of those "talented" little ones. Started gym at 3, developmental by 4, pre team by 5 and old level 4 before her 6th birthday. She was TOPS National Team at 8 years old. She is 9, with a serious back injury that comes from overuse. It is permanent and will not "heal", it will stabilize in the best case scenario. The gym she started doing gymnastics in let her bridge, back walkover and back handspring at age 4.

Now, you decide if it's a good idea to let your little one participate in back extension exercises at a young age...

 

[amphomma]

GymBeeMom, thank you for sharing your story. I hope that I can guide my Little A safely if she continues through gymnastics. I am sorry to hear about what has happened to your daughter, and thank you for reaching out to us.