An Overview of Geriatric Gymnastics

This article was written in my early 40’s as I was really gathering steam in my training. It tracks my entry into gymnastics as an adult, and how it quickly developed into a cult-like passion. While I will never be an Olympian, I have found an athletic spirit that will carry me for years.

This was written a few months before I was turning 50. It’s a reflection on where my body is, for better or worse. This is what I’m doing to stave off the inevitable decline that age presents. My ultimate goal is to slow that down and not make things worse in the process.

This is the first official installment of my blog series about being an adult gymnast. Here, you’ll learn about how a middle-aged mind and body must work together to defy the odds. Part of that process is recording the work and (gasp) posting it to social media for others to see. It provides validation of the work in addition to the proof that it is possible to be a #geriatricgymnast. 

Mastery requires hundreds of trials over many years. Like the toddler, who gets up, takes a few wobbly steps and falls back down again, tumbling skills are quite clumsy in the beginning. You don’t get good at it until you’ve developed consistent fundamentals. (Edited 2025)

In the gym, a healthy dose of fear keeps us from facing imminent disaster. My heart races at least once every time I go to train. There’s always something I’m not comfortable with. This is when I take a moment, draw a breath, and pay closer attention. Everything must be in place before I hurtle my body into space. It has taught me to think before I act and to “be where I am” (a favorite phrase of mine). 

The bone-building benefits of gymnastics training became clear after sustaining a hip injury. I had feared I broke it, but the X-ray showed no breaks. Then, the doc said that my bones were likely incredibly strong from all of the bouncing. It was good to know that I was taking an active part in staving off osteoporosis.

Buzzing under the surface of my work at the gym is a disturbing thought. “I have no business doing this thing that teenagers do; how long can I keep this charade up?” Those thoughts can turn into a cacophony of anxiety and doubt. This post offers strategies I use to silence the doubt and train proudly as the Geriatric Gymnast .

When our coach moved on to other things, we were left without a leader for our adult class. Luckily, I had enough training, experience and support to step into the coaching role. Here, I talk about learning to think like a coach, relate to your students, and make sure they are safe.

Sometimes, your brain gets in your way of progress. This is especially true when you are an adult gymnast. This post shows how, by going back to basics, you can break through mental and physical roadblocks. At any age.

Why is jumping on the trampoline so much fun? Why is it such a draw? Adults need to play just as much as kids do. Gymnastics provides an excellent way to satisfy the needs of our inner-child.

This is the beginning of my Geriatric Gymnast YouTube channel. It features a few conversations with my flippy friends, class journals and shorts that follow progress, new skills, and setbacks.

The first GG conversation with my dear friend and flippy partner Tammy. She’s a rockstar, brilliant, and has so much skill. The episode is in five parts: here’s the first one on YouTube.

The brain, in all its complexities, can help us or harm us. How depends on the day, our mood, or the direction of the wind. Anxiety is a killer beast, and at the gym, it can really get in the way of progress.

This post looks at the problems with and antidote to an over-training mindset. Especially as adults, we must practice our flippy habits with a wise mind so we can pursue longevity in gymnastics. Published: February 2023. Revised: June 2025

Michael is a long-time friend and coach at the gym. Our conversation spanned many topics: our community of adults, the “Hive Mind,” being a quinquagenarian, spotting and coaching, and the necessity for the gym to be a judgment-free zone. 

This focuses on a particular IG reel that I posted that got some big attention and great feedback. It led me to think about why I post so much of this GG stuff.

Injuries suck. This chronicles the MRI scan that I got that revealed what was really causing some of those aches and pains.

Moving into a rehabilitation mindset, I talk more about the state of my injuries. I also cover how, when medical advice is incomplete or squishy, it’s important to seek a second opinion.

This is the first of an 8-part series documenting the trials and tribulations of rehabbing a broken foot. Sadly, it happened on a poor roundoff-back handspring landing. Each part covers the milestones in my recovery. These are the links to the rest of the posts: part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8

In light of all the injuries I’d sustained, I had a long way to go in my recovery. This addendum to my first mental breakthroughs post talks about how sustaining big injuries can cause Lizard Brain mental blocks. This chronicles the process of trying to get past it.

There are many fundamentals required for safe, strong gymnastics skills. This post looks at them through the lens of the adult mind and body.

If you are looking to improve your back handspring, this will give you some food for thought. I offer essential conditioning exercises, drills and approaches you can work on to troubleshoot your own technique issues.

This was initially written and published in February 2024, before my April version of Improving Back Handspring Technique. For some reason, it got lost in the WordPress ether. After a lengthy archive search process, I retrieved it. When I read it through, there was even more useful information. I offer this as a second resource.

This article is designed to help gymnasts who are struggling with their back tucks on the trampoline. It offers tips and detailed, step-by-step descriptions of the drills I personally use to improve my technique and physical fitness.

Developing consistency in your training habits so darn hard. Whether you are a newbie or veteran gymnast, this article is helpful when you consider how you train.

We don’t have to sit back and let age happen to us. We don’t have to accept frailty. We have the power to define it in our own terms. That is precisely my approach to the chaos of Peri. This article talks about strategies and resources that help tap into our power.

What do Geriatric Gymnasts do in the heat? We pull it back a bit, but we still know how to have fun. Read on for some tips and examples of how we navigate class in the hot summer heat.

This is a followup to my 2022 article called Keeping the Bones Strong. It is an overview of the science behind bone building and how gymnastics activities really helps achieve strong bones. This entry tracks my recent DEXA scan and looks at the strategies I’ve been using to maintain strong bones.

This piece was inspired by a fellow adult gymnast, who is going through significant “life stuff.” When she reached out, she said how my gym stuff has helped her move forward. Despite the plethora of online nonsense, it’s nice to know that there’s inspiration on my little corner of the interwebs.

Gymnastics is not just for kids anymore. This is a story of a recent encounter I had with a fellow writer, athlete and coach. She was researching for an article about the expanding realm of adult gymnastics. She definitely found the right Geriatric Gymnast to talk to!

Stepping out of your comfort zone is always a challenge. This article talks about preparing to take a giant leap out of mine.

BIG EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT!! My Geriatric Gymnast story is highlighted in the Atlantic! Read on for more!

Coming back from a physical injury is a great feat. Conquering the mental fallout is like winning the Olympic gold medal. This article chronicles the steps I took on the long road to overcoming fear. Trust the process.

Preparing to experience and document the excitement and nerves in my first adult gymnastics camp with my flippy buddies.

At 52, I attended my first adult gymnastics camp in Crossville, Tennessee. This is all about my FlipFest experience.

Sometimes, it’s hard to express what some things mean to you. Sometimes, the right words just come pouring out. And sometimes, you get to share that with someone who needs to hear it.

The summer of 2024 was a bonanza of gymnastics progress. I avoided injury, and successfully broke through some deep-seated fear of going backwards on the TumblTrak. In this article, I share my progress and personal strategies I used to get there.

Gymnastics is fraught with risk. Anyone who participates knows this. Once in a while, the risk catches up with you. No matter how careful you are, sometimes you break yourself. This is the start of another long road to recovery.

On Sunday, I completely ruptured by right Achilles tendon. (Read Sometimes, You Break Yourself…Again for that story.) Today, my surgeon repaired it. This is my reflection of the ordeal.

Getting through the first night and day after surgery is one of the toughest parts of the early healing process. Here’s how I managed the early obstacles.

Why do I keep coming back to the gym after dealing with so many injuries? This article gets into that very question.

Attention: perimenopausal warriors. Feeling the waistline expand? Yeah, me too. This is the yearly overview of my personal experience that includes helpful resources and health-management strategies.

This is the ongoing saga of my recovery from a ruptured Achilles tendon in December. Two weeks post-op, this is how I’m doing.

On one regular Sunday FUNday, I ruptured my Achilles tendon on a tumbling pass at the gym. Three weeks later, I returned to the gym to take back my life, one hobbling step at a time.

When you suffer a life-altering injury, you have choices to make: to do or not to do. Four weeks after rupturing my right Achilles tendon, these are the choices I am making to recover well.

Four weeks and one day after my Achilles tendon repair surgery, I returned to the doctor for my second follow up. Spoiler: it went really well.

Rehabilitating from an Achilles tendon rupture is a long, arduous process. What has really helped in phase two of healing are my Apolla Performance socks.

It’s now five weeks after the surgeon repaired my Achilles tendon. Here, I’m sharing what I have found to be my next steps in a long recovery process. Read to the end for some pro-recovery tips. 

Healing from Achilles tendon repair surgery is no fun. But, it is manageable. In this post, I’m sharing the best practices that help me stay centered and keep my progress moving forward.

At six weeks post-surgery, my recovery is going very well. When I compare my progress to some of the published protocols, I’ve been slightly ahead of the curve. That begs the question, am I progressing too fast? Am I risking re-rupture down the line?

Here’s an update about my progress and trials 8 weeks after Achilles tendon surgery.

I thought I’d share the highlights and milestones in each phase of my recovery so far. I’ll keep updating this as I continue healing.

As I heal from this surgery, my ankle and foot are slowly waking up. There are lots of expected ouchies that I’m dealing with. And, the one issue that I believe to be at the root of the rupture is now in full focus.

It’s been ten weeks since the surgeon put my Achilles tendon back together again. This article shares exercises I’m working on, strategies for pain and fear management, and my comeback progress.

I’ve now passed the 12-week mark since my Achilles was repaired. It’s been three whole months! Time flies, even when you’re limping along. Though progress has been great so far, rehab has stalled this past week. Recovery has taken on a whole new meaning.

It’s been over 3 months since my Achilles tendon rupture. This is a reflection on the quest to balance fear and progress through long-term injury recovery.

In my recovery week 9 post, I had spoken to the surgeon about my progress and the limitation at the front of my ankle that I had been enduring for the better part of a year. This is the follow-up story to that problem.

In the past month, my biweekly physical therapy was reduced to once a week. At first, it was my March work schedule that limited my time. In April, it seems I’ve reached plateau. PT sessions have become, shall we say, too easy. Now what? 

I’ve officially passed the four-month mark since rupturing my Achilles tendon at the gym. It was an awful disruption in my existence. To commemorate my resilience and commitment to healing, I did something I’ve missed since that fateful day. I flipped!

Time heals all wounds. As I approach the five month mark in my Achilles recovery, I am happy report many more skills that have been added to my movement rotation. This post reflects on balancing the equation between safety and progress.

For half a year, I have been recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon. The gunshot snap. The boot and crutches. The long, painful, drawn-out healing process. Here’s how strategic healing, positive mindset and proper preparation made the first six months of my recovery go smoothly.