How to do a Handstand Step by Step

Doing a handstand is an amazing idea. It activates all the muscles in your body and you get to put on a full work out and get in the right shape. Doing this exercise is not the easiest of them all. It’s hard to achieve that posture where your head is upside-down.

It is hard to make it right if you never did it before. It takes knowledge, persistence, and dedication. Most of all, it takes time to do it. In this article, we’re going through this step by step. We’ll show you how to do it right in this article if you want to learn.

1. Get a yoga mat

The first step is to get prepared for the task. You need to get a yoga mat. This is an item that will keep you comfortable and protect you from falling. Even if you do, the mat will soften the fall, and prevent you from getting injured.

Make sure you choose one that won’t be too thick, so you can move your arms to make balance, and at the same time, not too thin, so it does the job when you do fall. Something in between would be the best. The market is full of them, so give yourself some time searching for the best.

2. Get warmed up

The basics when exercise is in question is the warm-up routine. You should do anything more complex than walking without properly warming up. The warm-up treats all the muscles, joints, tendons, and everything else in your body that performs the role of movement.

It is essential to reduce stiffness and making your entire system more flexible. Since you’re about to do something opposite of what you’re used to doing – standing on your feet – it’s crucial to have your body prepared. Warm-up and make sure you’re ready. Check out how to properly warm-up before you do something more difficult on this link.

3. Take everything away from the area

Before starting with anything more serious, you should get rid of all unnecessary items around you. By unnecessary we mean anything that might hurt you. Take away chairs, desks, small items on the ground, and anything that pose a threat.

Leave only space where the yoga mat will be. That way, you’re creating a safe zone. Even if you fall, and you most probably will, there will be nothing else to cause additional injury, then maybe a small bump.

4. Get on the ground with all four

You start the exercise by becoming a baby. Remember how babies are trying to stand up on their feet and struggle. That’s exactly what you’re supposed to do. Babies have a hard time standing on their feet because they never did this. For adults, it is something they don’t think about, but for babies, it is a brand new idea.

Get on all four and prepare to do the same babies do. Try to stand straight and beat gravity. It’s not easy, but after a few falls on the ground, they eventually learn. It will be the same with you, with the only difference you’re trying to go in the opposite direction.

5. Climb up slowly up the wall

Get yourself close to the wall. Make sure your feet are closer to the wall if you want to climb up, or further than your hand if you want to use the tactic of pushing off the ground and getting up there. It’s a matter of preference.

When you’re ready, either push and get your feet up, or go step by step like you’re walking on stairs. If you want to do the handstand step by step, you must do this as a part of the process.

6. Stay vertical for some time

When you achieve this posture, don’t get too comfortable just yet. Keep the muscles stiff, and prepare for the big push off. Think about this as your middle point. Like lifting weights and giving it a rest halfway to your target.

The wall will be there for you. As long as your hands can keep up with the pressure of your body, you’re safe. Only when you feel confident enough, you should go to the next step.

7. Push off the wall

The next step is to simply push yourself off the wall and into the unknown. This is going to make you release the safety switch and try to do everything alone. This is the moment when you simply have to give your best.

Keep your legs together and try to maintain the focal point of the body. If one side leans too much, you’ll lose the momentum.  

8. Try to achieve balance

 If one side is off the point, you will need to compensate by leaning over to the other side. This is easy when you’re on your feet, but when you’re standing on your hands, this is so much harder to do.

Your body is simply not used to this situation and it’s hard to do it. Just a part of a second is needed for your body to lose control and you’ll be on the ground. That’s why you must keep all parts together in an attempt to achieve balance.

9. Don’t be afraid of falling

There’s nothing wrong with falling. Yes, it may hurt a little, but no one learned to ride the bike without falling off of it at some point. You can’t learn unless you’re ready to take that hit.

Before you even begin, you should understand that you’ll fall. When you’re ready this way, it will be much easier for you along the way. Don’t worry when this happens, just get up and try again.

10. Repeat

When you do it over and over again, you’ll become better at it. Your mind will start understanding what it means to stand on your feet. You’ll achieve balance right away, when you start falling you’ll know how to protect yourself, and after this, everything becomes easier.