How to Do a Handstand
Find a good spot to do a handstand., Stretch your limbs and joints., Grab a spotter., Stand up straight with your feet comfortably apart., Kick with your dominant leg., Tip your body forward., Keep your arms straight as your hands approach the...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Find a good spot to do a handstand.
You'll need a place with lightly padded ground, since you'll be hitting the floor a few times before you're able to stand correctly on your hands.
The park or your yard is an excellent choice, since the grass will give you a nice soft landing and you'll have plenty of open space to work with.
This will help to ensure that you don't fall into someone or something, and that you don't hurt yourself.
Look for a flat area, rather than a hilly area.
It'll be a lot easier to execute the handstand where it's flat.
Other great spots to do a handstand are on the sand at the beach, on gym mats at the gym, or in a carpeted room in your home. -
Step 2: Stretch your limbs and joints.
It's important to warm up a bit before you launch into your handstand.
You want your muscles to feel nice and loose, and your body to feel limber.
This will decrease the chance that you'll get injured.
Do the following stretches to get into gear:
Roll your wrists, ankles, and neck until they're nice and loose.
Put your feet together and bend down to touch your toes.
Try to keep your legs straight.
Hold for 30 seconds, stand up, and repeat the stretch with your legs about a foot apart.
Take a quick jog around the block to help loosen your muscles.
There's no need to run very far; just go until you feel warmed up and ready for a physical challenge. , The first time you do a handstand, it helps to have someone nearby to help hold you in position until you get the hang of balancing correctly.
Ask a friend or family member to stand in front of you at first to catch your legs and hold you straight.
Once you can do the handstand without help, ask your spotter not to catch your legs unless you're about to topple over.
Having a spotter isn't absolutely necessary.
You can perfect your handstand on your own, or try doing it against a wall (see the next method). , This is your starting position.
Your feet, knees, torso and head should all be aligned and completely vertical.
Hold your arms comfortably at your side.
Some people like to start with their arms straight above their head.
You can try both ways and choose the starting position that feels most comfortable to you. , Then as you kick fall into a lunge, your dominant leg bent and in front and your other leg straight, It shouldn't be very deep but should give you enough power to kick up.
Make sure to kick and lunge straight forward, and not to one side or the other.
Stepping to the side will cause your body to twist when you go into the handstand, making it much harder to balance. , As you fall into a lunge, let your body tip over your lunged leg like a see-saw.
Hold your arms straight and move your head toward the ground.
Move with a bit of force in a natural, forward motion over your lunged leg.
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 upward.
This results in a whipping motion and causes you to fall forward. , Think of your self as a T, Your base leg being the vertical part and your arms and dominant leg being the horizontal part.
Keep yourself in this T position until your base leg leaves the ground.
Your shoulders should be tight in toward your neck, as though you were shrugging.
Don't let your shoulders sag upwards or your elbows bend, which puts you at greater risk for injury. , The act of stepping forward, tipping over, striking the ground with your hands and lifting your legs should be one smooth, fluid motion that ends in a handstand.
Keep your head tucked in,as it would be if you were standing up, and your back and legs straight.
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.
Keep your legs tightly together.
Keeping your legs straight and pressed firmly together typically helps you from wanting to fall to the side. , Keep your weight between your palms and your first knuckles.
Adjust your hands to balance your weight by moving it toward your fingers; you're more likely to loose balance if your roll it back toward your wrists. , Start to stand up and as you do put your other leg on the ground.
Keep your chest up as you stand up and look up.
Keep your arms by your ears. , End your handstand with your arms by your ears .
Let your arms fall farther away from your head and turn your palms outwards., Make sure your weight is over your shoulders so that you can fall backwards.
To start of with, bend your arms and tuck into a roll.
As you get better at this skill you can try to do it with straight arms, this is the correct way to do it.
Teach your body to absorb shock instead of hardening your muscles on impact.
Never take too much weight onto one arm or one ankle.
Make sure that you tuck your head to your chest before you roll out, as you could fall on your head a little harder than you would like.
Another way to fall without hurting yourself is to drop into a "crab back"
"arch"
or a "bridge"
if you are flexible enough. -
Step 3: Grab a spotter.
-
Step 4: Stand up straight with your feet comfortably apart.
-
Step 5: Kick with your dominant leg.
-
Step 6: Tip your body forward.
-
Step 7: Keep your arms straight as your hands approach the ground.
-
Step 8: Straighten your legs and torso toward the sky.
-
Step 9: Balance your weight on your hands.
-
Step 10: When you are ready to come down
-
Step 11: split your legs and drop your dominant leg to the ground.
-
Step 12: End the Handstand with a finish.
-
Step 13: Kick up to a handstand.
Detailed Guide
You'll need a place with lightly padded ground, since you'll be hitting the floor a few times before you're able to stand correctly on your hands.
The park or your yard is an excellent choice, since the grass will give you a nice soft landing and you'll have plenty of open space to work with.
This will help to ensure that you don't fall into someone or something, and that you don't hurt yourself.
Look for a flat area, rather than a hilly area.
It'll be a lot easier to execute the handstand where it's flat.
Other great spots to do a handstand are on the sand at the beach, on gym mats at the gym, or in a carpeted room in your home.
It's important to warm up a bit before you launch into your handstand.
You want your muscles to feel nice and loose, and your body to feel limber.
This will decrease the chance that you'll get injured.
Do the following stretches to get into gear:
Roll your wrists, ankles, and neck until they're nice and loose.
Put your feet together and bend down to touch your toes.
Try to keep your legs straight.
Hold for 30 seconds, stand up, and repeat the stretch with your legs about a foot apart.
Take a quick jog around the block to help loosen your muscles.
There's no need to run very far; just go until you feel warmed up and ready for a physical challenge. , The first time you do a handstand, it helps to have someone nearby to help hold you in position until you get the hang of balancing correctly.
Ask a friend or family member to stand in front of you at first to catch your legs and hold you straight.
Once you can do the handstand without help, ask your spotter not to catch your legs unless you're about to topple over.
Having a spotter isn't absolutely necessary.
You can perfect your handstand on your own, or try doing it against a wall (see the next method). , This is your starting position.
Your feet, knees, torso and head should all be aligned and completely vertical.
Hold your arms comfortably at your side.
Some people like to start with their arms straight above their head.
You can try both ways and choose the starting position that feels most comfortable to you. , Then as you kick fall into a lunge, your dominant leg bent and in front and your other leg straight, It shouldn't be very deep but should give you enough power to kick up.
Make sure to kick and lunge straight forward, and not to one side or the other.
Stepping to the side will cause your body to twist when you go into the handstand, making it much harder to balance. , As you fall into a lunge, let your body tip over your lunged leg like a see-saw.
Hold your arms straight and move your head toward the ground.
Move with a bit of force in a natural, forward motion over your lunged leg.
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 upward.
This results in a whipping motion and causes you to fall forward. , Think of your self as a T, Your base leg being the vertical part and your arms and dominant leg being the horizontal part.
Keep yourself in this T position until your base leg leaves the ground.
Your shoulders should be tight in toward your neck, as though you were shrugging.
Don't let your shoulders sag upwards or your elbows bend, which puts you at greater risk for injury. , The act of stepping forward, tipping over, striking the ground with your hands and lifting your legs should be one smooth, fluid motion that ends in a handstand.
Keep your head tucked in,as it would be if you were standing up, and your back and legs straight.
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.
Keep your legs tightly together.
Keeping your legs straight and pressed firmly together typically helps you from wanting to fall to the side. , Keep your weight between your palms and your first knuckles.
Adjust your hands to balance your weight by moving it toward your fingers; you're more likely to loose balance if your roll it back toward your wrists. , Start to stand up and as you do put your other leg on the ground.
Keep your chest up as you stand up and look up.
Keep your arms by your ears. , End your handstand with your arms by your ears .
Let your arms fall farther away from your head and turn your palms outwards., Make sure your weight is over your shoulders so that you can fall backwards.
To start of with, bend your arms and tuck into a roll.
As you get better at this skill you can try to do it with straight arms, this is the correct way to do it.
Teach your body to absorb shock instead of hardening your muscles on impact.
Never take too much weight onto one arm or one ankle.
Make sure that you tuck your head to your chest before you roll out, as you could fall on your head a little harder than you would like.
Another way to fall without hurting yourself is to drop into a "crab back"
"arch"
or a "bridge"
if you are flexible enough.
About the Author
Richard Gibson
Writer and educator with a focus on practical home improvement knowledge.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: