Women Empowerment - Research Paper Example

Because of the stated situation, it appears that the research industry also gives a lesser amount of attention towards the said field in relation to back injuries, specifically in the South African region. It is in this light that this paper attempts to analyze and understand the condition of female gymnasts in South Africa in association with the common back injuries they usually encounter. Age of the gymnast is an important element in this study since the physique of the body varies depending on the maturation period of an individual.

For instance, the built of the body of an infant is not the same from the structure of the body of a person who is already on his or her childhood, adolescence or adulthood. Gender also plays a significant role in this research because, similar with age, it determines the body type in certain stages of development as described by Marshal and Tanner (2000). During the puberty stage of development, boys and girls have differences and similarities in terms of the changes that they experience with regards to their bodies.

In this developmental stage Piaget (2000) mentioned that it is the perfect moment where an athlete realizes his or her importance in sport or the perceptual-cognitive approach to the role the athlete has in sport. The body structure as determined by age and gender is one of the important factors in gymnastics since the whole body is involved in this kind of sports. Intensity of training depends on the age and growth of the person which automatically involves the general health condition. Even though the whole body works in gymnastics, it is the lower extremities that are given due value.

It is because of the reason that the lower extremities are the ones responsible for the skill necessary for balance in the course of landings from dismounts and tumbling. Aside from this, the lower extremities also grant the locomotive power and speed for the whole body. These are few of the causes why lower back injuries occur. Relative to the results of the study, most of the participants were in the puberty stage, age ranging from 12 years old to 14 years old. This means that the changes in the body, as provided by the natural development brought by the puberty stage of an individual, were also in its peak.

Rogol, et al., (2000) mentioned that puberty largely affect the structure of the body, including some proportions of water, muscle, fat, and bone. Equally relative with the age of the majority of the gymnast respondents