Is it too late to learn gymnastics? Or to learn to do flips and things like that?

[Evoman]

Okay, I'm 27 years old....I'm reasonably fit, I've never had any sort of back/limb injury, and I have pretty good muscle tone. Basically, I always thought it was cool how people could do flips, handstands, and jumps/lifts on to platforms. And I really want to be able to learn have the flexibility and strength to do that kind of stuff. I don't want to compete or anything..I have no olympic dreams or anything like that lol.

So if its not to late, how would you suggest I proceed? Are there adult gymnastics classes? Does yoga help you with this kind of stuff? Basically, the excercise I do consists of lifting weights and playing some sports, but thats about it.

[Omphaloskepsis]

1. I will be thirty in a few months and I can still do that stuff.

I can do a standing front flip easily, I can also walk on my hands. I am totally out of shape, but I am really skinny (6' 140 pounds).

Are you thinking about getting into Parkour?

P.S: I have been skateboarding for about 20 years.

[Evoman]

2. I WISH!

I don't think I would ever be able to do that stuff. But yeah, I want to learn to do, but not THAT well, lol.

[bridgit]

3. better do some serious stretching & mobility regimens first before even trying...

[Evoman]

4. No doubt.

Any recommendations? What sort of stretching? Do you recomment yoga?

[bridgit]

5. prolly no-less than yoga-esque in-line movements till the tendons...

become more elastic, recover (rinse & repeat so as to say), slowly working rotators (be kind to your joints ;))and such then maybe work in some strength movements; look for tumbling & perhaps some leaping in 2-3 months depending,

dance was a study of mine in college, but it's hard work too :hi:

[Evoman]

6. Thank you for your advice...this is just the kind of thing I was looking for.

Any experiences you could share would be great.

[rug]

7. You cannot avoid bird shit with a backflip.

[Evoman]

12. True, but after they shit on me, I could do a kick flip from a wall and ruin

the birds junk.

[Karenina]

8. I started ice skating at 35.

Everyone thought I was in my early 20s and cautioned me about "getting my hopes up of 'doing' much." I trained in ballet as a child and was always active. I did manage to get to my Silver tests on the "Olympic" track (a different judging standard than "Adult" tests). I was determined to do a double jump and finally realized the price was too high in ALL respects. SO... I perfected a quint cartwheel and a throw waltz (my 8 year-old rink rat homies thought I was NUTS :crazy: ) then took up ice dancing which one can do as long as one is able to remain upright. My tricks: GET AN EXPERIENCED COACH, PRACTICE FAITHFULLY, dance with young boys. (They can hold my ass up).

GO FOR IT, DUDE!!!

[ThatsMyBarack]

10. Are you competing now?

Also, what is a "quint cartwheel"? :hi:

[Karenina]

15. No, :-( but will continue when my budget can cover it again!

5 cartwheels down the length of the ice!

[ThatsMyBarack]

9. I could do a back flip....

...if only my back was a liiiiittle more flexible (I can do back bends against the wall), and if I wasn't afraid of craashing my head on the floor going backwards. I wonder if a helmet would help the latter....

[liontamer]

11. not too late; take adult gymnastics

find a beginner's class. While I love yoga and recommend it to everyone, between yoga and gymnastics lies a completely different mentality. The strength and flexibility of yoga is great, but if you just want to learn cool tricks, go straight to gymnastics.

[Evoman]

13. I'm looking for a class

and I want to start slow, but most of the adult classes I find around here seem to be for old people who are out of shape..i.e way too slow. I'll keep looking.

[liontamer]

17. try a college gym

my campus has beginning gymnastics classes for young adults.

[Little Wing]

14. I learned everything I need to know about gymnastics by watching "Enter the Ninja"

[DuaneBidoux]

16. Sorry. Waaaaay too late.

Don't injure yourself. My son who is a gymnast was told that if you haven't seriously started by about 10 it is too late (at least too late to not have significant risk).

[Shell Beau]

18. I used to be able to do all of that stuff. Not sure if I can anymore. I am 28 and found out

that I can still do the splits!! :o It's never too late to learn! It may be a little harder now, but still not too late.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

19. Unless you're small and compact, it's really hard

Have you ever seen gymnasts close up?

The women are TINY, and the men are short with very musucular upper bodies.

I'm not small and compact, never was, I tried my entire childhood to learn to do some gymnastics tricks, even had people grab my legs to give me a sense of what a cartwheel should feel like, and I could never do it.

[unpossibles]

20. in addition to some of the good advice here

I suggest taking Shuai Chao or Capoeira (or Judo if you can't find that). It's always a good idea to know how to fall down from a variety of positions, and how to roll out of a fall.

I've actually had this information save my butt in various ways, including bike wrecks.

have fun!