How To Hold A Handstand Forever And Ever
Growing up as a gymnast and cheerleader, doing a handstand for multiple minutes was nothing to me. My friends always want me to teach them how I do it, so here goes: how to master the perfect handstand hold.
1.The basics: You should begin in a lunge, with your back leg straight and your front leg bent. Typically, your dominant leg should be in the front. Your arms should be straight up, right by your ears. Then, use your back leg to push onto your front leg while moving your hands closer to the ground. Ultimately, push off your front leg, pushing all your weight onto your hands.
2. Beginnings: If you are a rookie here, starting in front of a wall is best. Kick up into the handstand with your back against the wall. This helps keep you from falling and allows you to understand how hard you need to kick to get up. Continue reps of this until you feel comfortable with the skill.
3. Movin’ on Up: Once you have mastered the wall handstand, the next step is to try it on your own. Using a mat may be helpful, but if you don’t have one, that is okay. If you fall backward with no mat, the best protocol is to tuck your head by putting your chin on your chest, hollowing your back, and rolling out of it. Falls are an essential part of the process because they help you learn.
4. Stability: Once you can successfully kick up to a handstand consistently, it is time to focus on longevity. Here are some tips:
- Squeeze: Keeping your muscles tight, especially your legs, will help balance.
- Use your hands: Balance between pushing on your fingertips and palms to balance out whatever direction you feel you are falling.
- Head position: Keep your head in a “neutral” position. To do this, ensure your head stays in a standard line with your shoulders, where you are looking towards the wall rather than your hands. Looking towards your hands pulls you backward.
- Stamina: Being upside down for an extended period is not easy. Building your stamina by practicing holding time against a wall is very helpful.
- Use those shoulders: Pushing through your shoulders is your best base of balance. If you begin to fall, emphasize pushing through your shoulders and squeezing extra hard.
5. Practice and reps: This is not something you can teach yourself overnight. In fact, it takes most people months to get decent at it. Patience is the key to success here. Doing a little every day will ultimately lead you to the desired result.
Overall, handstand holding is a fun skill to practice and have. However, it requires a commitment to master. Using these tips will help guide you to success.
