Gymnastics is a kind of physical exercise with bare hands or with the help of equipment. There are two kinds of gymnastics in ancient China: one is to keep fit and prevent diseases. Among them, the most representative is "quoting classics" in Huangdi Neijing, a famous ancient pharmaceutical work. The unearthed map has a history of more than 2 100 years. Not only early, but also rich in content: physical exercise, breathing exercise, equipment exercise and so on. The other exists in ancient music and dance, acrobatics, drama and folk art movements. The official name of modern gymnastics is competitive gymnastics. It is a branch of gymnastics, called gymnastics for short. This is an action to complete complex coordinated actions on a specific instrument, which is scored according to the action score or the difficulty, arrangement and completion of the action. "Gymnastics" is the general term for all gymnastics events.

According to the purpose and task, gymnastics can be divided into basic gymnastics and competitive gymnastics. Basic gymnastics refers to gymnastics with relatively simple movements and techniques. Its main purpose and task is to keep fit and cultivate a good posture. Mainly aimed at the broad masses of the people. The most common are broadcast gymnastics and fitness gymnastics, which are used to prevent and treat various occupational diseases. Literally, competitive gymnastics refers to a kind of gymnastics whose main purpose is to win competitions, obtain excellent results and compete for medals. This kind of gymnastics is difficult, complicated and exciting. Athletes mainly engage in this kind of gymnastics training.

(2) the development of gymnastics

Gymnastics originated in ancient Greece, and Italians were "naked" because they practiced naked at that time and were later adopted by European and American countries. China is called "gymnastics". Its meaning and content change with the times. 14 Han tombs were excavated on the south slope of Wuyingshan Mountain in the northern suburb of Jinan, Shandong Province in the spring of 969. Among the unearthed cultural relics, a plate of acrobatic pottery figurines of music and dance in the Western Han Dynasty was found. Four terracotta figures are performing gymnastics, two are handstands and two are bowing. In addition, during the Eastern Han Dynasty, Hua Tuo developed the "Five-Animal Play" inspired by animals. Although it is for fitness, its graceful movements can already see the clue of gymnastics. After the Tang and Song Dynasties, gymnastics developed further, with pairs and group movements, and many complicated somersaults were combined with acrobatic performances. As for instrumental gymnastics, as early as the Eastern Han Dynasty, China people had a "lever technique" very similar to modern instrumental gymnastics.

Modern gymnastics originated in18th century and19th century. At that time, gymnastics schools in Germany, Sweden and Denmark appeared in Europe. They not only promoted the further development of gymnastics, but also laid the foundation for the formation of modern gymnastics. 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games listed gymnastics as an official event. 1840 after the opium war, gymnastics was introduced to China. At that time, gymnastics was very backward, and there were no mass gymnastics activities. At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, gymnastics was established in the educational curriculum standards of "foreign learning", reformist schools and bourgeois reform during the democratic revolution, which can be said to be the predecessor of today's sports. However, for decades, only the Third National Games of 1924 held a national gymnastics performance with incomplete events. Gymnastics, as a special sports competition, especially competitive gymnastics, has experienced a period of development and perfection.

Taking the records of Olympic gymnastics competition as an example, 1896 The pommel horse, rings, vault, parallel bars and rope climbing were set up in the first Athens Olympic Games. But there is no floor exercise, only men's gymnastics. In the future Olympic Games, gymnastics competitions will include fire stick gymnastics (later changed to light equipment gymnastics), Swedish gymnastics, European gymnastics and other gymnastics competitions. At the 10th Olympic Games held in Los Angeles from 65438 to 0932, floor exercise was added, which made competitive gymnastics take shape. 1 1 Berlin Olympic Games 1936, the men's hexathlon was really formed in gymnastics competition. Men's gymnastics competition cancelled gymnastics competitions such as light instrument gymnastics, Swedish gymnastics and European gymnastics. The Olympic Games also offered women's gymnastics, but the perfection and finalization of women's gymnastics was completed at the 1960 Rome Olympic Games. From 65438 to 0984, rhythmic gymnastics was listed as an official event in the 23rd Los Angeles Olympic Games. In 2000, trampoline was listed as an official event in the 27th Sydney Olympic Games.