Question on Standing Back Bends

[Blazing15]

I have a 6 year old that according to other parents I don't know and just come up to talk to me at the gym tell me she is very flexible. She is having a hard time on her standing back bends. She starts to get freaked out going down and then just falls? Anything I can do at home to work with her on it?

 

[momofthreegirls]

She could practice by walking her hands down the wall.

 

[Blazing15]

Thank You. I just joined here and read that the other day so we started working on it last night. Will this really improve her flexibility in her back to be able to do it?

 

[ZJsMom]

It doesn't sound like she needs to improve her flexibility. She just needs to improve her confidence so she doesn't have that freak out moment where she's upside down but can't yet see the floor so she bails. Walking her hands down to the wall will get her used to the feeling and build her confidence.

 

[Blazing15]

She just starts to freak out as she goes down and won't really do it. I know I have to give her time so I am hoping that the walking down the wall will help her. She does good on her bridge from laying down now I am just trying to build up her confidence to not be scared but so far nothing is working.

 

[Pickle's Mom]

Pickle was 6 when she was trying to figure this out as well. I let her practice on my bed so that she wasn't so freaked out about hitting her head. If your daughter can do a bridge, it's not really a question of flexibility. It's more understanding how to balance yourself as you fall over.

The big trick for Pickle was to (1) stretch out a lot first (2) do a few bridges to remember the feeling she is going for (3) bend her knees and (4) push her hands down first and then follow her hands with her eyes so she was looking for the ground.

Also, Pickle sometimes doesn't like when I give her tips, but if I show her it is on a website, she will totally try it. Here's a few sites on backbends:

How to Do a Backbend - wikiHow

How to Do a Backbend: Gymnastics | eHow.comhttp://www.wikihow.com/Do-a-Backbend

 

[momofthreegirls]

How do they practice standing bridges in her class? When my DD was learning it, the teacher had them stand on a thick, soft mat, and stressed the importance of keeping straight arms and looking at their fingernails as they go back. They also practiced on soft "cheese" mats, starting at the bottom of the incline, so they didn't have as far to bend before their hands hit. (Does that make any sense?)

 

[Blazing15]

How do they practice standing bridges in her class? When my DD was learning it, the teacher had them stand on a thick, soft mat, and stressed the importance of keeping straight arms and looking at their fingernails as they go back. They also practiced on soft "cheese" mats, starting at the bottom of the incline, so they didn't have as far to bend before their hands hit. (Does that make any sense?)

The coach usually helps her holds her back. Thank You to everyone that has answered. I will try some of this. She has a private lesson on Wednesday and she has gymnastics class on Tuesday/Thursdays for an hour and a half. They are moving her to pre-team in summer so i know she has some things to work on. Any more suggestions please keep them coming.

 

[Bobby]

Speaking as a former gymmie, sometimes parents helping at home can inadvertently cause (I'm not suggesting you did) or exacerbate a fear. It's really nerve wracking if your parent uses different words (or mats) than the coach. And something a gymmie might have forgotten she were nervous about can suddenly become a much bigger deal if it gets a lot of attention at home.
Unless your DD is begging you to help her work on it at home I'd be tempted to ignore it and let the coach handle over time.
And anyway, it will be useful insight for you to see how the coach does handle those sorts of issues - before long there may be fears about skills you couldn't possibly be trying to find solutions for at home.

 

[CoachTodd]

Let her work them at the gym.
Bridges are NOT a back flexibility skill. They are shoulder flexibility. I have girls that can't arch at all but can do very nice walk overs. I have others that can stick their heads on their butts but can't open their shoulders.
Technically speaking, bridges compress the back. They don't stretch it. The should be done from the top down. i.e. open the shoulders, reach back then arch. Doing billions of bridges at home just puts unneeded extra stress on the lower back. She may not notice now but she will later in life.

 

[bogwoppit]

Coach Todd you've hit the nail on the head. My now 13 year old has back pain a lot now. She has a very flexible lower back and not very flexible shoulders, she was able to fake her way though BWO's and FWO's and could indeed put her head on her butt. I didn't think much of it when she was young, we called her freaky flex.

But now 10 years on, she is not allowed to do bridges, bwo's etc as it is just not worth the pain it brings.

Leave it to the coaches and she will get the skill the right way, if she wants it badly enough. If she doesn't want it badly enough then that's fine too.

A back is for life, and having a 13 year old with back pain is NOT funny.

 

[Blazing15]

Thank You for your answers. Maybe I will just let the coach work with her on it at the gym and not have her practice it at home. She is constantly cartwheeling or doing roundoffs even if you are talking to her. She does them in the stores and everywhere. When she started school I had to tell the teacher if they had any problems with it to let me know because she was told to only do them at home or in the gym. She is constantly doing Gymnastics.

 

[Pickle's Mom]

Wow, I'd always put back bend into the category I allowed practice at home (you know: cartwheel=yes backhandspring=no). I guess it was because I remember I used to do it as a kid with my sister and I wasn't even in gymnastics (although I did do ballet).

I can't imagine having that type of back pain as a teenager. I have it as an adult (from a waterskiing accident of all things) and it makes me feel so old and useless.

 

[Blazing15]

Just wanted to update everyone and let you all know that Hailey got her standing back bend. She did it all by herself tonight.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

it's normal. the wall climbs will certainly help.