Explaining fitness requirements for achieving excellence in cheerleading

← TOE TOUCH JUMP

Balance is the ability to keep control of your body at all times. When doing cheerleading, you will need balance because you may have to stand on one foot in some routines. Sometimes you may even be in the air so if you have no balance you will fall over and cause injury to yourself. This applies to landing too; you could be thrown up to 20 meters in the air and if you don’t land with stability you could do serious damage.

←ARABESQUE

Flexibility is having an adequate range of motion in all joints of the body. It is the ability to move a joint through its complete range of movement. When performing cheerleading you may have to do some challenging moves using extreme flexibility. When executing the splits for example if its not done correctly it will look poor and untidy, if you try and push your muscles to much you may pull one, so stretching frequently helps improve your flexibility. Also when being thrown in the air you may be asked to perform a pike, if you have no flexibility you will not be able to do this as it requires a lot of flexibility in your back and hamstrings.

Muscular strength is the maximum force a muscle or muscle group can produce. You will need muscular strength when holding someone in position, if you don’t have the strength to do that you will not be able to steady the person your holding and risk them falling and causing injury to themselves, this will inevitably be your fault. You will also need this component when holding a strenuous position for a long period of time, if you don’t have this component you will not be able to hold it and won’t be able to perform to following move as your muscles ache.

←SCORPION

Aerobic endurance is the ability of the cardio-respiratory system to efficiently supply nutrients and oxygen to working muscles during sustained physical activity. Cheerleading needs this component because you are moving constantly in a routine, if you run out of energy you will slow down and make your routine look sloppy and effortless. In cheerleading you need to look crisp and on the point. When catching people, if you have no energy and you’re out of breath, you will not be able to catch them. If you drop them they will hurt themselves and it would be your fault if they cannot train.