Kids Fitness Tips from Olympic Gold Medalist Nastia Liukin
Kids Fitness Tips from Olympic Gold Medalist Nastia Liukin
When Nastia Liukin was three years old, she took her first gymnastics class. The daughter of Olympic gold medalist Valeri Liukin and World Champion rhythmic gymnast Anna Kotchneva, she started competing when she was six. Since then she has taken the world by storm, racking up five Olympic medals (Gold All-Around; Silver Team Competition, Balance Beam, Uneven Bar and Bronze Floor Exercise in the 2008 Olympic Games) and nine World Championship Medals, seven of them individually.
After failing to make the 2012 Olympic team after a heart-wrenching fall off of the uneven bars, Liukin has retired from the competitive aspects of the sport, but still remains incredibly involved. At the 2012 Olympic Games in London she'll serve as the Athlete Representative for the Federation of International Gymnastics. And as she did when she was competing, Liukin works a lot with children, helping to teach them about the sport.
To that end, she has signed on with Fisher-Price to promote the new Fantastic Gymnastics Dora doll (). Read on to find out some of her best tips on keeping kids healthy and fit, who she is rooting for in the 2012 Olympics and what she thinks is the best sport to start a young child with (I'm guessing you can figure it out pretty quickly!).
Related:Summer Olympic Activities You Can Do With Your Kids
Q. Tell me a little about your journey as a gymnast.
My journey as a gymnast began really early, both my parents were gymnasts – my dad went to the 1988 Olympic Games and won two gold and two silver medals and my mom was a world champion in gymnastics so I think I was born with a little bit of gymnastics in my blood before I even knew it! I fell in love with the world of gymnastics at a very early age and had big dreams and big aspirations, and I was lucky to have amazing heroes, such as my parents to look up to.
Q. How old were you when you started?
I think I started gymnastics even before I was born! I started taking classes when I was about three years old and I started competing for the first time when I was six years old.
Q. When did you realize that gymnastics was going to be such a major part of your life?
I knew at a very early age that gymnastics was going to be a big part of my life, whether I was going to become an Olympic champion or not. It was something that I loved and had a passion for and I think that’s the most important thing for children – to find something they love to do and stick with it. And parents should proactively encourage their children to find something active, whether gymnastics or a different sport because I think it’s important to have something you love to do every single day.
Q. Obviously not everyone has the ultimate goal of reaching the Olympics. What are some things that young children (ages 3-5) can do to enjoy gymnastics in terms of overall fitness and well-being?
Gymnastics was something that I loved to do at an early age and it’s so important to me, with the success that I’ve had at big competitions, to, hopefully, inspire children everywhere to learn about and try the sport I love so much.
I’m so honored to be teaming up with Fisher-Price for the launch of the new Fantastic Gymnastics Dora doll ()– it combines my two biggest passions: gymnastics and inspiring little kids to explore the sport, and to set goals and dreams for themselves. I think what’s most important is to find something active that children love to do every single day, whether it’s gymnastics or something else.
Q. What are some things parents can do to encourage aspiring gymnasts?
I think it’s important for parents to remember that it has to come from their children, that they have to have the passion for it. But if they do see that spark and interest in gymnastics then definitely encourage them to get involved with the sport – there are gyms all across the country so take them to the local gym and see if they like it. It’s one thing bouncing on the couches and another thing bouncing on the trampolines, so give the children the chance to test out in a real gymnastics facility. And, toys like the interactive Fantastic Gymnastics Dora from Fisher-Price can help give children a taste of the sport – young kids can coach Dora through two routines, cheer her on like a teammate and start to do the moves alongside her at their own pace as they get older. It definitely encourages children to explore the world of gymnastics which I love.
Q. What are good exercises for young children to do to help them stay active and fit?
Staying active and fit is so important not just for me because I’m a gymnast, but also for an everyday normal and healthy lifestyle. Even things like going to the park, playing on the swings and running around a playground is great. I always grew up having a dog so I remember constantly going to the park, if not every day, every other day with my mom and we would run around the park and play Frisbee or rollerblade.
There are always things you can do on a daily basis that aren’t necessarily sports-related, but involve health and fitness and the child doesn’t even realize it. And it’s definitely important to start at an early age, that way it will stay with them forever.
Q. How can a parent nurture a love of sport and fitness in children?
It’s important for the parent to know that it has to come from the child and from their heart, passion and desire, and it’s the parent’s job to support them on whatever path or road they decide to take. Even more importantly, parents need to set a good example and make their kids realize that living a healthy, active lifestyle is extremely important.
Q. What are some good sports for beginner athletes (young children) to start off with? Why?
Of course, I’m a little bit biased, but I would have to say gymnastics – it definitely helps with strength, stamina, flexibility and not mention things like being fearless and having a lot of courage. I think gymnastics is a good based to start with, even if you want to try other sports – it helps with coordination for soccer and flips for diving; in fact, a lot of gymnasts go on to dive.
Q. Any predictions for the London Olympics?
I’m excited to be going to London to watch our girls and I think Team USA definitely has chance of winning that team gold which hasn’t been done since the ’96 Olympic team with the Magnificent 7. I think it’s going to be a great and exciting Olympics to watch!
Q. What will you be doing in London? What you most looking forward to about your trip?
I’m actually the Athlete Representative for the Federation of International Gymnastics and it’s a pretty big position for me to have – gymnasts from all over the world have elected me to be in this role and I take it with great pride and responsibility. It’s also a good transition for me as I wrap up my competitive career. So, I’ll be doing that as well as some on-camera work and also just trying to take in the sights and sounds of London and experience the Olympic Games from a spectator standpoint.
Disclosure: A review product was provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.
When Nastia Liukin was three years old, she took her first gymnastics class. The daughter of Olympic gold medalist Valeri Liukin and World Champion rhythmic gymnast Anna Kotchneva, she started competing when she was six. Since then she has taken the world by storm, racking up five Olympic medals (Gold All-Around; Silver Team Competition, Balance Beam, Uneven Bar and Bronze Floor Exercise in the 2008 Olympic Games) and nine World Championship Medals, seven of them individually.
After failing to make the 2012 Olympic team after a heart-wrenching fall off of the uneven bars, Liukin has retired from the competitive aspects of the sport, but still remains incredibly involved. At the 2012 Olympic Games in London she'll serve as the Athlete Representative for the Federation of International Gymnastics. And as she did when she was competing, Liukin works a lot with children, helping to teach them about the sport.
To that end, she has signed on with Fisher-Price to promote the new Fantastic Gymnastics Dora doll (). Read on to find out some of her best tips on keeping kids healthy and fit, who she is rooting for in the 2012 Olympics and what she thinks is the best sport to start a young child with (I'm guessing you can figure it out pretty quickly!).
Related:Summer Olympic Activities You Can Do With Your Kids
Q. Tell me a little about your journey as a gymnast.
My journey as a gymnast began really early, both my parents were gymnasts – my dad went to the 1988 Olympic Games and won two gold and two silver medals and my mom was a world champion in gymnastics so I think I was born with a little bit of gymnastics in my blood before I even knew it! I fell in love with the world of gymnastics at a very early age and had big dreams and big aspirations, and I was lucky to have amazing heroes, such as my parents to look up to.
Q. How old were you when you started?
I think I started gymnastics even before I was born! I started taking classes when I was about three years old and I started competing for the first time when I was six years old.
Q. When did you realize that gymnastics was going to be such a major part of your life?
I knew at a very early age that gymnastics was going to be a big part of my life, whether I was going to become an Olympic champion or not. It was something that I loved and had a passion for and I think that’s the most important thing for children – to find something they love to do and stick with it. And parents should proactively encourage their children to find something active, whether gymnastics or a different sport because I think it’s important to have something you love to do every single day.
Q. Obviously not everyone has the ultimate goal of reaching the Olympics. What are some things that young children (ages 3-5) can do to enjoy gymnastics in terms of overall fitness and well-being?
Gymnastics was something that I loved to do at an early age and it’s so important to me, with the success that I’ve had at big competitions, to, hopefully, inspire children everywhere to learn about and try the sport I love so much.
I’m so honored to be teaming up with Fisher-Price for the launch of the new Fantastic Gymnastics Dora doll ()– it combines my two biggest passions: gymnastics and inspiring little kids to explore the sport, and to set goals and dreams for themselves. I think what’s most important is to find something active that children love to do every single day, whether it’s gymnastics or something else.
Q. What are some things parents can do to encourage aspiring gymnasts?
I think it’s important for parents to remember that it has to come from their children, that they have to have the passion for it. But if they do see that spark and interest in gymnastics then definitely encourage them to get involved with the sport – there are gyms all across the country so take them to the local gym and see if they like it. It’s one thing bouncing on the couches and another thing bouncing on the trampolines, so give the children the chance to test out in a real gymnastics facility. And, toys like the interactive Fantastic Gymnastics Dora from Fisher-Price can help give children a taste of the sport – young kids can coach Dora through two routines, cheer her on like a teammate and start to do the moves alongside her at their own pace as they get older. It definitely encourages children to explore the world of gymnastics which I love.
Q. What are good exercises for young children to do to help them stay active and fit?
Staying active and fit is so important not just for me because I’m a gymnast, but also for an everyday normal and healthy lifestyle. Even things like going to the park, playing on the swings and running around a playground is great. I always grew up having a dog so I remember constantly going to the park, if not every day, every other day with my mom and we would run around the park and play Frisbee or rollerblade.
There are always things you can do on a daily basis that aren’t necessarily sports-related, but involve health and fitness and the child doesn’t even realize it. And it’s definitely important to start at an early age, that way it will stay with them forever.
Q. How can a parent nurture a love of sport and fitness in children?
It’s important for the parent to know that it has to come from the child and from their heart, passion and desire, and it’s the parent’s job to support them on whatever path or road they decide to take. Even more importantly, parents need to set a good example and make their kids realize that living a healthy, active lifestyle is extremely important.
Q. What are some good sports for beginner athletes (young children) to start off with? Why?
Of course, I’m a little bit biased, but I would have to say gymnastics – it definitely helps with strength, stamina, flexibility and not mention things like being fearless and having a lot of courage. I think gymnastics is a good based to start with, even if you want to try other sports – it helps with coordination for soccer and flips for diving; in fact, a lot of gymnasts go on to dive.
Q. Any predictions for the London Olympics?
I’m excited to be going to London to watch our girls and I think Team USA definitely has chance of winning that team gold which hasn’t been done since the ’96 Olympic team with the Magnificent 7. I think it’s going to be a great and exciting Olympics to watch!
Q. What will you be doing in London? What you most looking forward to about your trip?
I’m actually the Athlete Representative for the Federation of International Gymnastics and it’s a pretty big position for me to have – gymnasts from all over the world have elected me to be in this role and I take it with great pride and responsibility. It’s also a good transition for me as I wrap up my competitive career. So, I’ll be doing that as well as some on-camera work and also just trying to take in the sights and sounds of London and experience the Olympic Games from a spectator standpoint.
Disclosure: A review product was provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.
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