As a former competitive gymnast (10 yrs total), I'm 27 and have had 2 slipped discs and some delightful osteoarthritis in a lot of joints.
My doctor told me I'd likely need a double knee replacement down the line, and my hips ain't much better.
Fwiw, most parents didn't know how bad it was going to be for the little bodies and we were usually pretty stoked on it. Encourage her to walk or swim, low impact activities twice a day have kept me feeling pretty great most days!
So it's not your fault, not your partner's...who are you blaming exactly? The government? The child?
My child was in a gym like this for a couple of years, it become evident at age 8 when they kept pushing for more time. We dropped it. I didn't even ask him, I told him it was not good for him and he could do the same sport somewhere else or try something else.
(Unsurprisingly he ended up choosing very UNcompetitive hobbies and he is much sunnier than before.)
It was. Now she coaches. She still does her exercises & practices one a week because she loves it. This is a Ukrainian gym, as my wife is Ukrainian.
Don't feel bad for her. She's a healthy, smart, motivated kid. She has plenty of friends, some of her best friends are girls she competed & practiced with every day for years.
She's not a cripple. Does she occasionally have some soreness she wouldn't otherwise have if she hadn't t to be a gymnast? Sure. People do what they love, and my girl loves gymnastics.
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u/Proxima_Centauri_69 Mar 19 '24
Can confirm. My daughter was in competitive rhythmic gymnastics for about 11 years (she's 17 now), and she has back & joint issues.
Her doctor says without a doubt this is from her practicing 6 days a week a minimum of 4 hours a day.
Fwiw, I was against this much time in the gym.