How to Do a Handstand



Doing a handstand is not only fun, but it's also a good form of exercise and can be used to impress people. Here's how to get a steady, graceful handstand going.

Steps   

  1. Find an area with a lot of space. This will help to ensure that you don't fall into anything and hurt yourself or anything/anyone else.
  2. Stand straight up and lift your hands above your head. Make sure your arms are straight and close to or touching your ears.
  3. Take a lunge step forward with one leg as far as it feels comfortable to you. Make sure to keep a straight line from your fingertips to your back foot. This is essential because it allows for your skeletal system to take the load off your muscles.
  4. Start to lean forward while keeping your body straight. Let your body tip over your lunged leg like a see-saw. Make sure to put a little force forward with your lunged leg and back foot. This will allow for a balanced system over your lunged leg, where gravity actually aids in the handstand rather than restricting it. (The most common mistake is to throw your hands straight down at the ground and try to throw your legs up. This results in a whip at the top and causes you to fall forwards.)
  5. Keep straight. Once your hands are approaching the ground, make sure to keep your arms perfectly straight. Don't let your shoulders sag upwards either. This will help to keep balance.
  6. Balance. Once you feel most of your weight on your hands, attempt to keep the force of your weight around the base of your fingers. This allows you to push forward or backwards with your hands, to compensate for when you kick too hard or not enough.
  7. Straighten out completely. After successfully hitting the handstand, keep your head neutral and your back and legs straight. Look through your eyebrows to see your hands. Don't throw your head back. This will only result in your handstand arching your back and hurting. This won't look as impressive either.
  8. Use bent legs. It can also help to bend your legs or keep them tightly pulled together. Bending them allows for a lower center of gravity but typically arches your back, which is a bad habit that you should try to avoid. Keeping your legs straight and pressed firmly together typically helps you from wanting to fall to the side.
  9. Borrow a leaning prop. If you are having problems having enough strength to hold the handstand, use a wall. You can practice sticking the handstand by facing the wall and kicking up towards it or starting with your back to the wall and walking your legs up it. Either way make sure to keep you hands close to the wall. Make sure to keep your arms and body vertical and straight and your stomach off the wall. (hollow body position) The straighter you are, the easier it is on your back and muscles.
  10. Let go of the prop. After you gain more strength and endurance, you can even try tapping away from the wall and practicing your balance. Or even try it one-handed!
  11. Be patient. This skill takes a while to master. In the meantime, keep practicing and have a friend or two helping and learning with you for encouragement.


Tips   

  • Most of this skill is about visualizing and having confidence. If you are afraid and think you will fall, then it is more likely that you will. It is very helpful to imagine someone is holding your feet up to balance you, or imagine that you are doing this underwater.
  • Most people can't do handstands because they're afraid of falling over. For this reason, start practicing on a grass field, or somewhere soft where it won't hurt if you fall over.
  • Practice falling over without hurting yourself. One way is to bend your arms and tuck into a roll. You should be able to, when you've practiced enough, fall onto concrete from a handstand position without hurting yourself. It's about teaching your body to absorb shock and not hardening your muscles on impact. Never take too much weight onto one arm or one ankle.
  • Strengthen your core body muscles as well as your upper body to help support your weight and keep your balance while in a handstand.
  • Use your entire hand to keep your balance. If your legs are falling over your head, push hard in your fingers. If you are falling back down, push hard in your palms.
  • Keep your back as straight as a board. Doing this will help you when you are starting out. Once you get your balance right, your back doesn't need to be straight anymore.
  • Stop when your arms are tired. You aren't training by falling on your head.
  • Get a friend to spot you by standing a safe distance in front of you to catch and then catch hold your calves while you're in a handstand.
  • If you're going to use a wall, make sure it won't receive a massive hole if you happen to overbalance and push your elbow into it.
  • After you have attained a decent handstand, try holding a bean bag or beanie baby toy between your feet or knees and popping up to a handstand instead of lunging.


Warnings   

  • The only way to discipline yourself is to learn from trial and error.