Kids are flying through the air in Chelsea in an effort to stay in shape as part of the gymnastics program at Chelsea Piers. NY1's Lindsey Christ filed the following report.

Tumbling, jumping and flipping, hundreds of gymnasts work out and train, developing their their skills and their muscles at Chelsea Piers every week. 

"I was, like, really flippy," said gymnast Aiveri Wells. "I liked doing flips in the house, so then I'm like, 'Ooh, I want to do gymnastics! That seems fun.'"

The program starts with toddlers and includes close to 200 competitive gymnasts ranging from 7 years old to 17. For team members, it's a major commitment. 

"I come here Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday," said Addy Rothstein of the Chelsea Piers Gymnastics Team.

"I don't have much of a social life, but I mean, my social life is basically here," said Esperanza Delgado of the Chelsea Piers Gymnastics Team.  

It's a sport that requires as much mental strength as physical. 

"Of course you get psyched out. You get scared and all," Delgado said. "But I think that once you have it, that thrill, the butterflies in your stomach when you stick it and you know you just, you hit what you had to."

"It's very nerve-wracking," Rothstein said. "When you're on beam, your heart is shaking like crazy because you're really afraid you're going to fall, but if you don't, at the end, you're just like, 'Ahhhhh.'"

While landing a back handspring may be a very specific skill, gymnastics, like many childhood sports, is meant to teach much more. 

"Kids in gymnastics learn to set goals for themselves at a very young age. They learn to overcome fears. On top of that, the physical benefits. You are gaining strength, flexibility, power, balance," said Desiree Sanchez Salazar, coach with the Chelsea Piers Gymnastics Team. "It's a combination of so many wonderful physical and mental attributes."

"I think of it as basically as my second home," Delgado said. "All the coaches are a huge part of my life now. I depend on a lot on them."

Ultimately, the coaches and the gymnasts stress how fun this all is. Most kids love tumbling and climbing. Gymnastics is a way to do it with some structure and even a little competition.