Is it possible for adults to start gymnastics? The simple answer is a firm, but cautious YES. But I think I should qualify that answer just a bit with some wise perspective. Here’s The Geriatric Gymnast’s guide to taking the leap.

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This article speaks loudly to those who, like me, yearned to take gymnastics as a kid but never got the chance. My introduction to flipping and handstands was at age 36. As a working mother of two small children, I took my first adult gymnastics class and fell in an obsessive kind of love with it. Eighteen years later, I am blessed to pay it forward as a coach to adults, particularly those that are just getting started. And by adult, I mean those in their thirties through their sixties (seventies?).

Really? Adult gymnastics?

Adult gymnastics is a growing trend in the fitness and wellness zeitgeist. Ten years ago, finding an adult class was a monumental task. Now, more gymnastics facilities are now opening their doors to grownups who are coming back to the sport or, more importantly, discovering it for the first time.

I stumbled into the opportunity, as our young and fearless leader had to step away to raise her family. To avoid our Sunday Funday class shutting down, Debby (the gym owner) asked me and my flippy friend Tammy if we were interested in taking over the coaching responsibility. Mixed with nervous excitement, we accepted and began our coaching journey.

Two years later, I wanted to offer a beginner level class specifically designed to address the needs of adults who were new or returning after a long hiatus. Debby loved the idea and gave me the green light to start a Thursday night adult class called FUNdamentals and Mobility. The main focus: to develop the rudimentary conditioning and skills necessary for safe and successful adult gymnastics practice. It enables people to progress at a slower pace while providing appropriate challenges to the individual student.

FUNdamentals has become a popular starting place for new adult flippers and people returning to the sport in their more grownup bodies and brains. Teaching this class has become a highlight of my week. It has reinforced the most important foundational practices for me, and I get to share that out with adults discovering what new things their bodies can do. Watching them progress with elation is an absolute joy. We have so much fun together. If my mood is low walking into the gym, I walk out with a lilt in my step and a goofy smile on my face.

So it’s not too late?

I always say that it is never too late to start. As long as you walk into the gym with a healthy body and an open mind, you are never too old to start gymnastics fundamentals.

Humans are built to adapt to new stimuli. It’s literally what we’ve been doing since the day we were born. Everything we are today is informed by what we have learned from every moment after our first breath. As children, we learned to walk, run and play. As we grew, we gained and reinforced more complex movement patterns.

Unfortunately, getting older means that acquiring new movement patterns is more of a challenge. Our aging body doesn’t take as well to new physical demands. As fitness practices lapse due to work, children, over-scheduling, and generally crotchety joints, our bodies and brains often rebel when we start to push harder. Maybe we have experienced injury. Maybe we’ve gained some weight and we don’t recognize our adult bodies as athletic, flexible, or fit. Our brains like to protect the comfort and safety of the status quo once movement habits are established. And once we lose strength, flexibility and mobility, it is really hard to get them back. 

With that in mind, why and how would anyone who finds themselves “out of shape” venture into something like gymnastics?

Why start gymnastics as an adult?

The short answer: Because it is as wildly fun as it is challenging. 

The longer answer: Because once you acclimate to the training, you feel like a superhero. Holding a handstand is badass. Jumping on a trampoline is like flying. The joy of hearing your fellow adult gymnasts cheer loudly whether you fail or succeed. When you do succeed in landing that first front flip, it’s like your heart will burst out of your chest. And when you face your fear and so something that absolutely petrifies you, a new kind of self-confidence permeates everything in your life.

Not to mention, all of that bouncing and jumping will keep your bones really strong. And you will become part of an incredible community that will do nothing but support you.

I’ve written a ton about my flipping journey. There’s lots to learn about ourselves through this wild ride. You can read all about the rollercoaster on my webpage Overview of Geriatric Gymnastics for more insight as to the question of why.

The next important question is: How?

How do I get started?

How does one make the decision to try the sport of Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles? How could anyone who hasn’t been consistently focused on athletic training have the gumption (or sense) to step onto a sprung floor and stand on their hands?

The answer: very slowly and progressively. While it should never be taken lightly, the decision to start can absolutely change your life for the better. 

It never ceases to amaze me how capable our bodies are. Even those who can’t remember the last time they stepped into any kind of gym are stronger and more mobile than they think. No matter their body type or shape, most healthy people can progress in gymnastics. I see it all the time. Progress is slow and not ever linear, but the joy experienced when they complete their first doggy-up-the-wall or handstand roll or swivel hips on a trampoline is immense. 

Let me offer some wisdom that may serve as a good entry point.

The Geriatric Gymnast’s guide to getting started 

To my older, wannabe gymnasts: the following is some insight, inspiration and perhaps motivation. Once you decide to give it a try, these are some steps you should consider taking (in no particular order) to start your adult gymnastics journey. 

Walk in the door

Well, duh. Isn’t that obvious? Not exactly.

Once you find a place that actually teaches adults, getting dressed, driving there and stepping over the threshold is the hardest part of getting started. I think there’s a mental hurdle people need to get over in order to walk in the door. Am I too old? (No.) What happens if I get hurt? (You will heal.) Do I belong in a place where children run and play? (Absolutely yes!)

If you can set those doubts aside (put a pin in them), put on some comfy workout clothes, get in the car and walk in the building, you open the door to a life-changing opportunity. 

Prepare the body and mind for challenge

The truth is that gymnastics is just as much a mental challenge as it is a physical one. Allowing yourself to feel uncomfortable while enduring a considerable struggle is what will allow progress to happen. 

Our brains don’t like change. Status quo makes us feel safe. It’s not until we embrace the struggle that we can make real changes to our neuromuscular pathways. When we do, we can unlock physical and mental improvements across the board. While that takes time and enormous effort, it is a miraculous investment in our current well-being and our future selves. Gaining a new gymnastics skill transfers well into our everyday functionality:

If you can learn something new in gymnastics, you are smarter than the average bear. There are myriad mental and physical processes that you must coordinate in gymnastics. All at the same time. With laser-like precision.

In my fifties, I am not the same person that I was at 36. I am stronger, wiser, and more ready to take on bigger challenges. I believe in my ability to adapt. I am confident in my body’s capacity for longevity. I can run up stairs and carry heavy things and do hard things without help. 

All of that confidence was created through the work I’ve done at the gym. The flippy gym.

Try new things

In your first class, you’ll likely be overwhelmed by the magnitude of the space and all the different equipment in it. You’ll be asked to try things you can’t imagine you could ever do. The thing is, you don’t know if you can until you try. 

Yes, you’ll feel awkward and bumbling at times, but you’ll quickly realize that everyone at the gym feels that way. Even people with great skills try new things and fail as a matter of course. They’ve just learned how to fail safely and spectacularly. You can learn how to do that too. 

When I ask a newbie to do a “doggie-up-the wall” (handstand drill) or a forward roll on the floor, I see the look of doubt in their eyes. Once they actually dig in and stand on their hands or push their hips over their head and roll back to their feet safely, something shifts. I know they are hooked. That perfect blend of adrenaline and dopamine is a powerful cocktail; certainly better than anything a bartender could concoct. 

Take it slow and steady 

It is tempting to want more of that power cocktail. It is intoxicating, for sure. But especially in the beginning, slow and steady is the key. There are so many new things to process in one gym class. Our bodies need recovery and our brains need processing time. It’s very easy to overdo things and be limping the next day. It’s also very easy to over-frustrate, especially when skills don’t come easily. 

Remember that whole “progress isn’t linear” thing? That’s real.

The best approach, especially in the beginning, is to push in, give things a good try, then step away. As long as you don’t abuse yourself, the gym will give you plenty of opportunities to evolve. The non-linear progress will always happen slowly, over time. 

Manage expectations 

Once you get started, this becomes the hardest step. The initial anxiety wanes and you look forward to the next practice day. You start connecting with your own potential and you try each new skill. As that happens, the potential for frustration also increases. You start thinking that you “should be able” to advance the most basic skills to get to the next step. You compare yourself to everyone else around you (always a bad idea). Even as you achieve more skills, you start to feel like it’s not enough. 

Banish the thought. 

Unfortunately, since progress is not linear, it takes our brains and bodies many repetitions to adapt. That makes it essential to manage our expectations of ourselves. There are things that I have been working on for eighteen years that I still do not feel I have fully mastered. I’ve gained and lost skills more times than I can count. 

What we all need to remember is that our physical and mental existence is complex, chaotic and ever-changing. It’s like we are never in the exact same conditions twice. 

Here’s the complex formula to managing expectations:

• Be in the moment.
• Focus on your technique cues, not your mistakes.
• Do your best to replicate past success.
• Handle “failure” with grace and humor.
• Be kind to yourself when something doesn’t work.
• Learn to walk away and work on something else. Our brains need time off task to process the experience. 

And remember, even the elites stumble and fall. It’s the most natural part of the gymnastics universe.

Final thoughts

If after reading all this, you have decided to give gymnastics a try, congratulations! You’ve taken a huge step forward. I encourage you to reach out to your local flippy gym and ask if they have coach adults. If they do, take a trial class. And if you need a little more encouragement or answers to questions, please send me a message!

If you're looking to enter this amazing adult community online, you should visit Just like fine wine...Adult Gymnastics Group and/or Society of Ancient Gymnasts. You'll start to see the overwhelming number of like-minded adults who have all invested in themselves. They live all around the globe and are an amazing resource for people getting started. We are definitely not alone in this crazy Geriatric Gymnastics journey!

Register and log in (for free) for my favorite success strategy!

The Geriatric Gymnast’s favorite strategy for success 

When we are trying to write new neuromuscular patterns into our aging system, the hard part is getting enough successful repetitions to create consistently good habits. We tire more easily than the youthful Energizer bunnies and feel the aches and pains more intensely.

So here is a strategy I use all the time: Visualization.

Visualization is an excellent tool for any physical thing you’re doing. If you need to remember any sequence, playing it out in your mind accomplishes almost as much as doing it for real. It’s a good practice to that sends the brain through the motions without the physical taxation.

When I’m thinking about a skill set (in or out of the gym), I slowly visualize each moment and cue. In preparation for the Red Hawk Classic and Masters World Cup competitions this year, I mentally ran through my routines as I was going to sleep. If I’m trying to do something new or challenging, I imagine what my muscles need to do when I send my body in motion.

Amazingly, visualization helps. I get the mental reinforcement I need so that when I do the next physical practice, I’m able to go on autopilot. 

Let me know what other success techniques you use to learn new things!