There is a lot of home equipment that you have to buy if you are serious about gymnastics. Making sure you have the correct size of everything is one of the main factors that you have to consider when you are getting these items.
How long of an air track you should buy depends on a variety of factors. In general, somewhere around 15 feet is an average length that fits most. If you are still a beginner, you may not need as much space. However, you may find later on that 15 feet is not enough space to do everything you need.
An air track is an essential part of gymnastics, as well as a few other sports that are similar to gymnastics. This being the case, there are many different companies that sell air tracks. Some of these are specifically for gymnastics, while others are more for cheer or other activities.
However, any air track can be used for gymnastics, and any gymnastics air track can be used for other things too. The main thing you should consider when getting an air track is the length of the track and that you are giving yourself enough space on it to train.
Factors To Consider For The Length Of Your Air Track
As when choosing any piece of equipment, there are always different factors that can help you choose what size you need. Most air tracks have around the same width of around 3 to 3 ½ feet. Meanwhile, the depth of a gymnastics air track can vary between 4 to 8 inches most of the time.
The length of the air track is where the greatest difference comes in at. The smallest air tracks can sometimes be as small as 2 to 3 feet in length while the longer one can sometimes be close to 40 feet in length.
This is quite a range of sizes to choose from. Fortunately, most gymnastics air tracks are made to be able to handle being set up outdoors since it is unlikely that you have enough room in your house to be able to fit an air track of that length inside.
Your Skill Level
When choosing an air track, one of the main things that will affect the length that you need is your own skill level. Beginner gymnasts might be able to use a 10-foot air track. This length is enough to work on things like walkovers and even single saltos.
However, once you learn how to master those gymnastics skills, a 10-foot air track will not be long enough. An air track that is 15 to 20 feet long is what you will need in order to start combining some of your gymnastics skills.
Air tracks this size can allow you to do two or three combined skills such as a walkover into a roundoff and then into a salto. This availability is particularly helpful when you are practicing your floor passes but, as these floor passes grow longer, even 20 feet might not be enough length.
Eventually, you will need to get an air track that is around 30 feet long, if not a little longer. This is long enough to let you practice all but the longest tumbling passes. Though this is a lot of space, it is well worth it if you do a lot of training at home.
What You Are Using It For
If you live near your gymnastics gym, then you may not need to use your home air track as much. In this case, you may not need a long air track since you can focus on your individual skills when you are at your home and save the combination work for when you are at your gym.
Combining your gymnastics skills is often better at the gym anyway. This is both because other people are there to watch you and give you pointers on how to improve and a gym is often more open than in your house.
Your Own Length
If you are tall, then you are going to need more length on an air track in order to do a walkover. The taller you are, then the more length you should give yourself to do your skills. This is why age does matter a little on what length of an air track you should get.
If your gymnast is still a child, then they will be able to do more even on a smaller track. Keep in mind the ages that teens go through a growth spurt, and go ahead and get a slightly longer track if you know that age is coming up.
The Amount Of Space You Have
When you are trying to decide how long of an air track you should buy, one of the things you will have to consider is how much space you have to set one up. It would not be wise for obvious reasons to get a long air track and then not have space anywhere to set it up.
While gymnastics air tracks can be set up outside, you will likely not want to go outside to practice if it is raining or in the heat of summer. Therefore, it is much better if you can get an air track that can fit somewhere inside your house.
The Price
If you are just doing gymnastics casually, it might be a long time before you reach the point where you need a longer air track. In this case, a smaller track might be all you need and you, therefore, don’t need to put out more money for a long track.
Smaller air tracks are, obviously, going to cost less, with longer air track costing more. However, when it comes to the cost per square foot, longer air tracks can actually be a little cheaper. So, if you are certain that you will need a long air track, then it might be a wise idea to plan ahead and get a long one.
This can save you money since you will not have to “outgrow” a short air track and have to get a longer one. Still, an air track can get worn out, ripped, punctured, or damaged in some way. The longer the air track is, the more likely it is to get damaged somewhere on it.
Damaged air tracks can be repaired if the damage is small enough, but at some point you will need to buy a new track. For that reason, you should not feel pressured to buy a long air track simply because you think you will need a long one later on.
Final Thoughts
When you are getting a gymnastics air track, it is always best to get a track that is a little longer instead of one that is a little shorter. Keep in mind that you are going to be using the track for practicing new skills.
This means that you will likely not be doing these skills anywhere near perfectly, especially not when you first start out. Doing a skill imperfectly can take up quite a bit more room, so do not simply consider the length you will need to do the skill perfectly.
One thing that you can use to help you estimate how much space you need it to take a look at the track in your gym. Practice doing some of the things there that you want to work on at home and pay attention to exactly how much space you need even when you mess up.
When you are figuring out how much space you have available at your home, make sure that you are not just counting the floor space for the track. You should not have any tables, chairs, or anything else anywhere the edges of your air track.
Therefore, you actually need more space than just the space needed for your track. Between all these tips, and the different factors that you have to consider, you should have a pretty good idea about how long your air track should be.