Imposter Syndrome In Adult Gymnasts
Hello, again! Or welcome new friends! Either way, I am thrilled you have landed here. Let’s dive right in and explore the wide world of adult gymnastics for a bit…
Are you starting gymnastics as an adult with no experience? Wondering is 20 is too old to start gymnastics? Questioning can I become a gymnast at 30? Unsure if it is too late to become a gymnast? Or maybe, you just don’t know how to start (or re-start) gymnastics at all? Perhaps it’s one of these very questions that landed you here and rest assured, I intend to uncover some answers for you.
First thing’s first, despite what you may have heard, there is no age limit in gymnastics.
To start, to stop, to re-start, to compete - all of the things. If you have visited our blog before, you may recall I talked a little about belonging here in my last post. Well, belonging here means no matter who you are, what you do, where you are, why you’re here, or how you intend to pursue gymnastics - you belong here!
All it takes to become a gymnast is one simple thing, desire. The desire to do this thing! Whatever doing it looks like for you. So often we find ourselves looking at others - be it friends, social media influencers, peers - and we assume they can do anything. We hype them up and encourage them to pursue all their desires no matter how lofty or challenging. Then, we turn around and look at ourselves in the mirror and the doubt creeps in…
Can I do this? Am I capable? Am I worthy? And of course, the age old question, Am I an imposter?
Of course not! You already took the hardest step by landing on this page… research. The next step is we have to prepare our body physically to hold the gymnastics positions, either for the first time or again.
For my former gymnasts, muscle memory is one of the most integral parts of gymnastics - years can pass and it may feel like you do not remember how to do the skills you once had mastered, but your body remembers the positions it needed to hold in order to master those skills. Now, I am not saying I can climb onto a beam tomorrow and perform a back handspring layout step out with the same power, grace and ease I used to have, however, my muscles do still remember the body positions that skill boils down to. So when I train in the same body positions I used to do every day in my gymnastics conditioning, my body feels right at home and relearns faster. It may feel like you will never be able to build back up the stamina you used to have, the strength you used to embody and the muscle tone you used to show. With dedication, encouragement, and most importantly, desire you absolutely can.
Actually, the #TLAGTeam is an outlet for just those things: a community to pursue your journey alongside.
Photo courtesy of Women’s Health Magazine
For my new gymnasts, body positions are a learned behavior. Fear not, you have come to the right place. The more you practice them, the more you hold your body in those positions, the more you commit your mind and body to learning these behaviors - the more your muscle memory will begin to develop. Don’t know which positions to start with? Flexibility is always a good home base and you’re in luck - we have Stretch Like a Gymnast to guide the way.
Community being built through teamwork at the 2020 TLAG Lake Tahoe Retreat. Interested in cultivating some close community ties of your own? Check out the details to attend our 2021 TLAG Park City Retreat here!
The next tool for successful follow-through is community - This one I cannot stress enough. When you have a community of like-minded individuals inspiring, encouraging and supporting you, the confidence to take challenges head-on seems much less intimidating. The more we build each other up and play to our personal strengths, the more we can all succeed. You’re in luck - we have some experts right here on our #TLAGTeam and they are ready, willing and able to share their expertise with you.
And last, but certainly not least, is patience. You will inevitably have setbacks along your journey - Do not let these discourage you, but rather let them encourage you and fuel your fire. Speaking of setbacks… well I have plenty to say on this topic. I guess you’ll just have to come back in a couple weeks to hear all about it!
There will always be new challenges to face and new obstacles to overcome, but when you are grounded in optimism and empowerment you are ready to take on anything the world throws your way.
-The Silver Lining by Serena Pergola
Until next time…
Xo - Serena