Gymnastics is a sport that can be traced back to Ancient Greece and was originally used as a way for men to stay ready for battle. Nowadays, gymnastics is still an esteemed sport and is honored by a holiday known as National Gymnastics Day. This holiday is celebrated on September 19th every year to highlight the remarkable achievements of gymnasts and to emphasize that this sport can help its participants maintain a healthy body.

The History Of National Gymnastics Day

Even though gymnastics as a sport is thousands of years old, National Gymnastics Day is a relatively new holiday, only 22+ years old. This holiday was originally started in the U.S. as a way to bring attention to the sport and to highlight all the people who make this sport possible—including not only the gymnasts themselves but also the coaches, trainers, and sportscasters who have contributed to the sport.

Some Facts About Gymnastics

Anyone who doesn’t think that gymnastics is a fascinating sport obviously hasn’t learned all they can about it. That’s why we’ve listed some of the most interesting facts about gymnastics. Hopefully, the following facts will compel more people to learn about this fascinating sport.

• Gymnastics is over 4,000 years old.
• The Olympics of 1896 featured men’s gymnastics as a sport.
• Women’s gymnastics weren’t celebrated at the Olympics until 1928.
• Mary Lou Retton won the all-around Olympic gold medal in 1984.
• Friedrich Ludwig Jahn is credited with founding the modern German gymnastics movement in 1813.

Men & Women Olympic Gymnastics Are Different

Anyone who has watched both men’s and women’s Olympic gymnastics might have noticed that there are some differences between the two. Although both men and women compete in floor exercises and the gymnastics vault, women’s floor routines tend to have more music and dance moves than men’s routines. Men engage in the parallel bars, the rings, the pommel horse, and the high bar. Women engage in the uneven bars and the balance beam. There are also minor differences in how some of the routines are executed, as well as the equipment used.

How To Celebrate National Gymnastics Day

Even though some of the feats of the top gymnasts might make the average person feel like this sport is beyond their reach, the reality is that this is a sport that can be enjoyed by everyone. And that’s why this day is a holiday that can be celebrated by everyone. Below are some of the things that people can do to observe and celebrate this holiday.

• Personally thank the gymnasts in your life or on social media.
• Encourage children to pursue gymnastics as a sport.
• Take a gymnastics lesson or learn more about it.
• Watch a gymnastics event on television.
• Use the hashtag #NationalGymnasticsDay on social media sites.