gymnastic

Gymnastic refers to activities related to the practice of gymnastics, a sport and form of physical training that emphasizes strength, flexibility, balance, coordination, and body control. The term is typically used as an adjective; the noun form more commonly encountered is gymnastics. Historically, gymnastic exercises were described in ancient sources as part of military and educational training and were later organized as competitive sport.

Origin and development: The word gymnastic derives from Greek gymnasteia; gymnasium from gymnasion meaning a place to train naked. In ancient Greece, gymnastic training emphasized physical culture and moral education. In the modern era, gymnastics began to be codified as a sport, with the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) founded in 1881; women's events were introduced in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, expanding the sport's reach.

Disciplines and events: The sport comprises several disciplines. Artistic gymnastics is the best known and includes events for men (floor, pommel horse, rings, vault, parallel bars, horizontal bar) and women (vault, uneven bars, balance beam, floor). Rhythmic gymnastics is for women and uses apparatus such as rope, hoop, ball, clubs, and ribbon. Trampoline, acrobatic, and aerobic gymnastics cover other formats, each with its own rules and apparatus.

Competition, scoring, and training: The international governing body, FIG, oversees routines and judging. Since 2006, open-ended scoring combines a difficulty score with an execution score. Training emphasizes strength, flexibility, balance, and technique, with safety and injury prevention as core components. Athletes commonly begin at a young age and commit many years to reach elite levels.