Alica is all set to groom gymnasts
A gymnast in motion is a sight to behold. The grace and poise of the athlete who bends, twists and turns while maintaining perfect balance of the body is what makes it a beautiful sport.
On National Gymnastics Day, Hyderabad’s international gymnast, judge and coach Alica Joe is attempting to promote awareness of what she calls ‘mother of all games’ as she aims to produce quality gymnasts for the state and country.
“Gymnastics provides a great foundation for all sports. It develops strength, flexibility, balance, agility and coordination skills needed for sports like football, hockey, baseball, basketball, volleyball and others,” she says.
Not just sport, the benefits extend to dance forms too. “Gymnastics combines lots of different movements that require balance, coordination, flexibility, strength and endurance which is also helpful in many dance forms — classical and western,” she adds.
The sport contributes to the physical well-being as well. “Participating in moderate gymnastics training regularly reduces the risk of developing health related diseases such as asthma, cancer, obesity, heart disease and diabetes. Gymnastics encourages a balanced lifestyle,” says Alica, who is Director and Head Coach of JOE’S Gymnastics Academy in Hyderabad.
“For competitive gymnasts this means improving leaps and jumps. For recreational and adult gymnasts this is about improving the flexibility of muscle groups in order to prevent injury. The more flexible a person’s muscles are, the less likely they are to strain or tear a muscle completing everyday tasks,” says Alica, who was an active gymnast for 16 years before retiring after the 2015 National Games.