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Have you always wanted to be able to do the splits or a backflip? Maybe you’ve watched your kids do a gymnastics class and thought, ‘Wow, that looks so fun’. Adult gymnastics is gaining some serious popularity online, with the TikTok hashtag #adultgymnastics getting over 209.5 million views. Influencers such as Anna Archer – who has over 300,000 followers on Instagram and creates content surrounding lots of different fitness experiments – and stunt woman Corinne Nicewick have shared clips of their experiences of trying out gymnastics as an adult. Nicewick, despite being a talented stuntwoman, has shared clips of how challenging she has found the sport, with viewers finding her attempts both funny and encouraging. Gymnastics has put some famous faces in good stead for other fitness-related challenges, with gymnast Beth Tweddle winning the 2103 series of Dancing on Ice and Ellie Downie, GB gymnast taking on the gruelling SAS: Who Dares Wins reality show in 2023.So, what do you need to know before you get involved? How does adult gymnastics work? Can anyone do it? Classes have been steadily cropping up across the UK encouraging adults of all abilities to get involved in gymnastics, and unless you have a health problem or injury that may restrict you from doing so, anyone can get involved. It is not so dissimilar to exercises you may already do like plyometrics (explosive body weight resistance exercises like box jumps), CrossFit or yoga. “Gymnastics is a series of different exercises that test your strength, mobility, flexibility and agility,” says Sofia Zolobova, instructor and gymnastics expert at Gymbox. “It’s also a lot of fun, incorporating lots of different floor, beam and hoop exercises,” she explains. This element of variety can bring a more fun, playful element to your workout routine. What are the health and wellbeing benefits of adult gymnastics? Gymnastics will give your body a really different workout and improve your strength, mobility and balance. “Strength and mobility are both very important as we grow older,” says Zolobova. “Gymnastics uses your own body weight, so not only do you get stronger, you move better. For example, to be able to execute a hand stand you need great shoulder mobility,” she explains. “With our modern tight shoulders, gymnastics can be helpful in improving our posture.” How do you get past being scared? As a kid, doing a cartwheel and taking a tumble doesn’t seem so threatening, but as adults we are all a bit more scared of getting hurt. Instead of falling into the trap of fear, embrace the playfulness of it. Zolobova says: “It’s a really fun way to exercise. It includes handstands, cartwheels and frog jumps, letting you unleash your inner child. It empowers you to do cool tricks as an adult and work up to a certain goal. It’s also a great fear fighter – sometimes you just have to let go and trust yourself.” What should we be careful of in adult gymnastics? Your fitness and flexibility may not progress as quickly as they might have done as a child. “Children are naturally more flexible than adults, so when undertaking gymnastics for the first time keep this in mind. Take things slow and one step at a time – you can always build up strength and flexibility with consistent practice,” explains Zolobova. How do we protect our backs and joints? Putting your back out or hurting your joints is a very real fear as an adult. Zolobova says: “Stretching should never be skimped on and should be thorough and dynamic [involving movement]. It’s also very important to make sure the body is warmed up before undertaking any gymnastic moves, a light jog and jumping jacks are great ways to get the muscles warm fast.”

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 30, 2023--

Airlines in the United States canceled more than 850 flights on Wednesday as Hurricane Idalia made landfall in

By Gloria Dickie (Reuters) -Hurricane Idalia's arrival on Florida's Gulf Coast on Wednesday signaled activity in the Atlantic's hurricane alley

President Ali Bongo is under house arrest after being ousted by the army after a disputed election.

Russia has seen the biggest drone assault on its territory since it launched its war on Ukraine while Moscow killed two men in a near-simultaneous bombardment on Kyiv, as the aerial intensity of the conflict ratcheted up.

The U.S. economy expanded at a 2.1% annual pace from April through June, showing continued resilience in the face of higher borrowing costs for consumers and businesses, the government said in a downgrade from its initial estimate

Vladimir Putin will leave Russia and travel the farthest distance from his home country for the first time since an arrest warrant was issued against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC), according to a report. Mr Putin has reportedly accepted an invitation by Xi Jinping to visit China and the Kremlin is gearing up for his attendance at the Belt and Road Forum in October, three people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. News of the visit comes after Mr Putin declined an invitation by India to attend G20 summit next week. The Kremlin said the Russian leader has a “busy schedule” while his main focus at the moment is Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia will be instead be represented by its foreign minister Sergey Lavrov. Moscow is an ally to Delhi and Beijing, both of whom are regional rivals and share strained diplomatic ties with each other. Both countries are not signatories to the ICC either. The Russian leader has, ever since the warrant was issued, travelled only to Russian-occupied areas in Ukraine. Before the warrant, he had visited Iran last year. On Tuesday, the Kremlin said a schedule for bilateral Russian-Chinese contacts was being worked out, when asked about the reported visit. “The schedule of bilateral Russian-Chinese contacts at various levels, including at the highest level, is being coordinated,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. “We will inform you about specific events and deadlines in a timely manner.” Mr Putin and Mr Xi have declared a “no limits” partnership between their countries. China has refused to condemn Russia’s actions in Ukraine directly while emphasing the importance of upholding Kyiv’s territorial integrity. In March, an arrest warrant was issued against Mr Putin and Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights, Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, for alleged war crimes committed by deporting Ukrainian children into Russia during the conflict. Human rights groups have estimated that more than 19,000 children were deported and placed with Russian families. Russian officials have claimed the children were taken in as a war-time humanitarian gesture. The Kremlin has rejected the war crime accusations. The Russian leader had earlier avoided going to South Africa, which is an ICC signatory, to attend the Brics summit last week. Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan also invited Mr Putin to visit Ankara for talks on a Black Sea grain deal, but he is now said to be considering traveling to Moscow himself. Turkey is not an ICC signatory. The flurry of announcements about the diplomatic visits come as British foreign minister James Cleverly visited China in the first such visit by a UK diplomat in five years. Mr Cleverly said he will urge China to fulfil its international commitments and show responsibility on the world stage on the Ukraine invasion. On Mr Putin’s purpoted visit to Beijing, he said, “Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine cannot be justified by Moscow or indeed anywhere else”. Read More India protests China's land claim ahead of the G20 summit President Xi Jinping is expected to attend Russia earns less from oil and spends more on war. So far, sanctions are working like a slow poison Vladimir Putin ‘too busy’ to face world leaders at G20 The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo says she warned Chinese leaders that U.S. businesses might stop investing in their country without prompt action to address complaints about worsening conditions due to raids on firms, unexplained fines and unpredictable official behavior

Tesla is letting some drivers use its Autopilot driver-assist system for extended periods without making them put their hands on the steering wheel, a development that has drawn concern from U.S. safety regulators

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is pledging that his government will tone down frequent public infighting that has weighed it down badly in polls as it works to pick up the country’s stagnant economy, Europe’s biggest

MESEBERG Germany's government must be careful that its economic stimulus measures do not spur inflation, Chancellor Olaf Scholz