Of course competition at the major university level, and in the Olympic Games, is also important in terms of national pride and individual achievements for elite athletes. But at the community level, gymnastics is also important because it provides a way for young people to learn about -- and pursue -- practices that promote healthy living.

The correlation between components of physical fitness and gymnastics: an article in the Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance (Donham-Foutch, 2007) asserts that training in gymnastics is "an excellent means of teaching basic motor skills, as well as health-related fitness" (Donham-Foutch). The point of the article, in addition to making clear how components of gymnastics training relates to keeping fit, is that gymnastics programs for children are being developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Coordinated School Health Program (CSHP). In the first and ninth weeks of continuing-education...
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