Let's Get Moving!

In order to compete high on the rings, flip through the air, and doing walking handstands on the beam, gymnasts have to be strong, flexible, and confident. With lots of practice and help from a coach and spotter, readers can learn to execute splits, L-sits, and other cool gymnastics moves by following an informative step-by-step guide. Colorful photos and helpful tips remind even seasoned gymnasts of important technical points. Readers new to the sport will see moves so cool, they'll want to join a gym and try them right away!

Regular yoga practice offers fitness benefits for the body and the mind. The meditation that's commonly involved helps people to focus, feel calm, and even have lower blood pressure. Yoga poses increase strength, muscle tone, and flexibility. An introduction to common yoga poses will draw readers in through clear, step-by-step instructions and full-color, guiding photographs. Tips for bettering poses such as tree, cobra, and headstands offer those familiar with the practice a chance to improve and beginners an opportunity to start with good form.

The Olympics are full of skating sports! Graceful figure skaters impress with jumps, speed skaters zoom around the icy track, and hockey players turn on a dime to chase down the puck. Readers will enjoy learning about different skills needed for each of these activities. With colorful photographs illustrating the postures, foot placement, and techniques needed to learn how to ice-skate, the main content shows readers what fun they can have on the ice. Ice-skating is a great way to get moving, whether in a figure 8 or guarding a hockey net!

Music videos, reality shows, and Broadway musicals all employ talented dancers that can move to the music. These dancers all spent many years practicing and perfecting good dance technique, and possibly took classes in many genres, including ballet, jazz, tap, and hip-hop. Through an introduction to each of the different styles of dance, readers can choose which they'd be most interested in. Then, they can follow full-color photographs and detailed explanations to learn a move or two! From a shuffle hop step to a demi-plié, readers will be ready to dance in no time!

Swimming is a popular competitive sport and part of other competitive sports like diving, water polo, and synchronized swimming. In addition to being fun and a great way to keep fit, swimming is an important life skill. Good swimmers can help save lives as lifeguards and in water rescue situations! The main text takes readers through the motions of all the strokes, including the fast front crawl. Photographs accompany step-by-step instructions on how the arms and legs move and how to breathe while moving through the water. Tips and tricks to better flip turns and dives will help all swimmers, from experienced to novice.

Learning marital arts requires both mental and physical fitness. Those who practice karate, jujitsu, kung fu, and other martial arts spend time learning self-defense, but they also learn discipline, patience, and concentration. Full-color photographs and detailed explanations introduce readers to the basic principles behind several kinds of martial arts, including tae kwon do and judo. Step-by-step instructions teach simple moves, such as snap kicks and hammerfist strikes. Newcomers to martial arts will find the text informative and helpful while those already practicing can revisit important stances and moves to enhance their future performance.