Oh, what a difference a year makes. 12 months ago, I was laid up on the couch in a cast. Today, I have 365 days worth of recovery stories. This is my end-of-year recap.
Tag: Geriatric Gymnastics
Waking Your Inner Child Through Adult Gymnastics
I've seen so many people awaken their inner child in my adult gymnastics classes. If you need to make a case for starting gymnastics, this is it.
What did the GG Beta Readers Think?
Ask and ye shall receive. This encapsulates some of the incredible feedback I received from the beta reading team for my upcoming book, Geriatric Gymnastics: Flipping, Recovery an Defining Life on Your Terms.
Help Shape Geriatric Gymnastics: Join Our Beta Reading Team
I'm seeking beta readers for my upcoming book, "Geriatric Gymnastics: Flipping, Recovery and Defining Life on Your Terms". Interested in joining the GG team? Read on!
Giving Voice to The Geriatric Gymnast
Time to write another book! When I started writing about gymnastics in this blog in 2020, there was a “someday I’ll write a book” vibe. I’d write about all of the feelings I was processing, the ups and inevitable downs I had experienced. If anything, it was a way to track and remember my journey. But… Continue reading Giving Voice to The Geriatric Gymnast
Returning to writing
I can't believe it's been over six weeks since I've posted anything here. No, I haven't lost the love for writing. Quite the opposite. I've actually been working on another book project. As I closed out my 29th teaching year, I had to decide how to spend my time during summer break. We didn't have… Continue reading Returning to writing
Achilles Recovery: My 6 Month Snapiversary
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. When you are 53 and doing athletic things, you wonder… Continue reading Achilles Recovery: My 6 Month Snapiversary
Achilles Tendon Recovery: 21 weeks
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. May 18, 2025 As fast as my recovery may seem to the outsider, it… Continue reading Achilles Tendon Recovery: 21 weeks
Achilles Tendon Recovery: 4 months
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! April 16, 2025 If you don't know me, I'm an adult gymnast who started… Continue reading Achilles Tendon Recovery: 4 months
Week 16 Achilles recovery: PT is coming to an end
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? April 9, 2025 Last week, I found out what was going… Continue reading Week 16 Achilles recovery: PT is coming to an end
The mental toll of Achilles injury
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. March 26, 2025 Not too long ago, all of my posts were about the progress I was making at the gym. I’ve celebrated the baby steps and the big… Continue reading The mental toll of Achilles injury
Achilles Tendon Surgery: Healing With Apolla Performance Socks
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. January 20, 2025 The short history: On December 15, I ruptured my Achilles tendon. Completely and definitively. On December 18, the surgeon put me back together, just in time for… Continue reading Achilles Tendon Surgery: Healing With Apolla Performance Socks
Achilles Tendon Surgery: Four Weeks Post-Op Progress
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. January 18, 2025 Earlier this week, I posted Achilles Tendon Rupture: What Can I Do? It looked at the progress I've been making and how I've been inserting myself… Continue reading Achilles Tendon Surgery: Four Weeks Post-Op Progress
Overcoming Achilles Injury: My Return to the Gym
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 endure an injury that requires surgical intervention, it seems to overtake your life. Everything you do is… Continue reading Overcoming Achilles Injury: My Return to the Gym
FlipFest 2024: My First Adult Gymnastics Camp Experience
At 52, I attended my first adult gymnastics camp in Crossville, Tennessee. This is all about my FlipFest experience. You can see us, front row center Sometimes, your world can feel small. This is especially true when you leave for a bit to experience something on a much grander scale. In my case, I'd been preparing… Continue reading FlipFest 2024: My First Adult Gymnastics Camp Experience
Getting Ready for Camp!
Ready for an adventure! In July, I posted Preparing for my First Gymnastics Camp, anticipating my very first adult gymnastics experience at FlipFest. I am writing this on the eve of our departure and I must say I am shaking with excitement. This is going to be a road trip from New Jersey to Crossville, Tennessee… Continue reading Getting Ready for Camp!
Preparing for my First Gymnastics Camp
Stepping out of your comfort zone is always a challenge. This article talks about preparing to take a giant leap out of mine. While I've been flipping for 16 years now, I have never flipped anywhere but my home gym. In the past year or two, I've seen lots of adult gymnastics "camp" and competition… Continue reading Preparing for my First Gymnastics Camp
Promoting adult gymnastics
Gymnastics is not just for kids anymore. This is a story of a recent encounter I had with a fellow writer, athlete and coach who is doing a deep dive into the expanding realm of adult gymnastics. I recently made a new flippy friend! Out of the blue, I got an email that caught my… Continue reading Promoting adult gymnastics
Inspiring Through Adult Gymnastics
Last June, I published Why Do I Post So Much?, a reflection on all of the gymnastics stuff I put on social media. At the time, I had posted a video that was getting some attention (over 140K views, which is gargantuan for my little account). As others commented how inspired they were by the… Continue reading Inspiring Through Adult Gymnastics
Hot June Challenge, Geriatric Gymnast Style
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. The heat is on! Tuesday was one of those long, hot days just before summer begins.… Continue reading Hot June Challenge, Geriatric Gymnast Style
Practice makes habits
Whether you are a newbie or veteran gymnast, this article might be helpful when you consider how you create consistency in your training habits and why the journey is so darn hard. Gymnasts, particularly those of us “of a certain age,” work to develop complex physical skills through the obstacles of body limitations, fear and… Continue reading Practice makes habits
A Primer for Back Tucks on the Trampoline
This article is designed to help gymnasts who are struggling with their back tucks on the trampoline. It offers lots of how-to tips and detailed, step-by-step descriptions of the hows and whys of the drills I've personally used to improve my technique. One of the main questions I often get relates to getting over the… Continue reading A Primer for Back Tucks on the Trampoline
Improving back handsprings, part 2
This article was actually 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 and I had to do a lengthy archive search process to find it again. When I read it through, there was even more useful information than… Continue reading Improving back handsprings, part 2
Improving Back Handspring Technique
If you are looking to solve your back handspring issues, this article might give you some food for thought. Back handsprings are one of the harder basic skills to acquire, especially for adult gymnasts. The idea of hurtling yourself backwards onto your hands, then snapping your feet back down to the ground and rebounding back… Continue reading Improving Back Handspring Technique
Progress isn’t linear
"Progress isn't linear" is one of my favorite sayings. It applies to everyone for everything that we work for, but I have had to lean into it as I have spent my time over the last 15 years doing adult gymnastics. It's how I have been able to keep flipping in my 50s.
Tammy Goedken, part 5
In the last installment of episode 1 with Tammy, we had a few more thoughts about the meditative and empowering qualities that adult gymnastics offers. We also compared the experience to some other fitness activities we've done.
Tammy Goedken, part 4
In part 4 of my conversation with Tammy, we talk about eliminating the "end-date" drama, coaching from experience, the benefits of Geriatric Gymnastics, and setting goals in gymnastics training.
Tammy Goedken, part 3
We love telling stories about our gymnastics escapades. In part 3, Tammy and I talk about dealing with injuries, building bone strength, balance, and positive self-concept, and our thoughts on progress (which is never linear).
Tammy Goedken, part 2
In part two of my conversation with Tammy Goedken, we talk about our observations as coaches for the adult set, and how we believe that gymnastics is the most fun way to condition your body (and soul).
Tammy Goedken, part 1
Welcome to the first episode of my new series, Conversations With The Geriatric Gymnast! For 15 years, I've learned more about my capabilities in the gym than I have anywhere else. Now, my flippy friends and I have some things to share with the world.
Stacey's Headspace 