When it comes to cheerleading, you don’t just have to practice in the gym or at school. In fact, there are several ways you can practice the sport in your own home. If you are looking to improve your cheer technique, Gold Medal Gyms has a few ways you can practice cheerleading at home.
Stretching
When it comes to gymnastics, stretching is something you should never leave out of your practice session. Before you begin your cheerleading practice, your muscles can feel tight, making it difficult for you to perform backflips, cart-wheels, and many other signature cheerleading moves. Stretching is always something that can be done at home and it is an easy way to improve your overall flexibility. The more you stretch, the easier you’ll find your routines to be.
Practicing Chants
Your team’s cheerleading chants can differ from other schools. Being on a new cheer squad may be difficult as you may not be able to memorize the chants immediately. See if you can acquire a sheet of all the different chants your team performs and practice them in your bedroom. Standing in front of a mirror is another helpful trick, so you can see how you look while practicing.
Related: All-Star Cheerleading Vs. School Cheer
Counts & Timing
Following your counts in a cheer routine is what makes the performance accurate. If you’re off on your counts, the whole routine can appear wrong. If you’ve memorized your routine, walk through your counts at home so you can make sure you’re hitting all your moves and you will be synchronized with the rest of your cheer squad.
Balance
If you’re a flyer or even a base, balance is the key to pulling off a successful gymnastics routine. As a flyer, you’ll need great balance to pull off intricate stunts. Bases, however, need to be able to stand firm and hold the flyer up to make sure they don’t fall. You can practice balance by standing on one leg or you can use a wobble board for training.
Related: How to Do a Front Handspring
Toe Touches
Toe touches are one of the most iconic moves cheerleaders perform after chants or during routines. While challenging, this move is a necessity in the cheerleading world. You’ll need a big area to practice this move, so the backyard or an open space with mats or a soft landing is a good place to start. Be sure to stretch before you begin.
Acquire Extra Practice at Gold Medal Gyms
If you want to improve your cheerleading skill set or get a bit of extra practice, attend Gold Medal Gyms. Gold Medal allows you to perfect your training outside of school so you can be on top of your game. Whether you want to work on flexibility or other routines, we’re here to help. We even have team squads you can join. Call us today at (417) 732-4100 to learn more about our programs.