If you have been an athlete for most of your life, if your balance is amazing and your core is strong, and if you don’t have any problems spending your time upside down, then I have a question for you. What on Earth are you doing here? It seems to me that you already know how to do a handstand and I’m pretty sure that you don’t need my tips. Well, alright, I get it, you might want to perfect your technique and that’s why you’re searching for tips.
While you might get some perfecting tips here, I have to make it clear right from the start that this post isn’t made for the professionals who already know all the basics and even some more advanced tricks. It’s aimed more towards all of those adults who haven’t really spent their whole lives upside down and who are perhaps finding it all a bit scary at the moment, but who want to do their best to finally learn how to do a perfect handstand. If you are already a pro, however, you can definitely keep on reading and brush up on some of your skills or fill in some gaps in your handstand knowledge if those exist.
Now, let’s get back to our topic. Have you ever just lied around at your home and it suddenly occurred to you that doing a handstand is an amazing skill that you would wish to learn? You might have remembered the time when you were a child and when this might have been a piece of cake for you and that must have made you stand up and try to do it now, as an adult. Oh, boy, I hope you didn’t hurt yourself there.
You probably didn’t, though. Most likely, you just put your hands on the floor and never even got to lifting even one leg off the floor. Do you know why you never got to that part, though? Well, partly because you are in fear and that’s making you clumsy, and partly because it takes some skills, tips and tricks in order to learn how to do this. You can’t just wake up one day and do it as if you were doing it your whole life.
As nice as that would be, waking up and knowing how to do a handstand is practically impossible. That is, unless you have a magic wand that can turn you into a flexible, strong and professional athlete in no time. Since you probably don’t have a wand, though, you will have to do some reading and a lot of practicing. As you can see at How To Handstand, this is a process that takes time and practice really does make perfect. So, let me give you a few tips on how to do the perfect handstand and use those tips while practicing in order to finally be able to master this amazing skill.
Keep The Abs Tight
I am going to assume that you know the basics and that you do engage in at least some physical activity, because doing a handstand requires you to have a strong core, as well as strong arms. In fact, your whole body will need to be strong so that it can work towards achieving that upside down position that you are dreaming about. Don’t worry, though, this doesn’t mean that you will have to go to the gym every single day for a couple of hours and build huge muscles in order to do a handstand. Still, some level of physical activity and strength is certainly required.
So, since you probably already know the basics, let me skip right to one of the most important tips that you have to keep in mind while trying to achieve this position. Keep those abs tight at all times. If you don’t pay any attention to your abs and if you don’t squeeze them, you are most likely going to arch your back and fall down. On the other hand, if you keep the abs tight, you will get to keep your body perfectly straight, your back flat and maintain the necessary balance.
Squeeze The Bum
You probably already know that you will need to squeeze your butt while standing upside down, just like the abs. This is one more way for you to maintain your balance and keep your whole body firm and upright. Did you, however, know that you should actually activate these muscles before you kick your body upwards? Yes, that’s right. You should squeeze before the kick and then keep those muscles tight throughout the whole handstand.
I know this might be a bit difficult to do at first, especially since you are trying so hard to concentrate on not falling down or hurting yourself. Still, if you really want to master this position, then you will have to think about those butt muscles and keep them activated throughout the handstand. Practice focusing on these muscles, as well as the abs, instead of worrying about not falling down, because this is exactly what you need to do in order not to fall down.
If you need some more basic tips than this, here’s a nice read: https://ashotofadrenaline.net/perfect-handstand/
Lock The Arms To The Ears
In addition to squeezing your abs and your butt, one of the most important things that you will need to do the moment you kick up is press your arms straight by your ears. This will help you form a straight line right from your fingers all the way up to your toes. Your arms will be strong and solid when kept in this position and you won’t have that hard of a time balancing and staying straight.
Point The Toes Up
Notice how I mentioned above that pressing your arms to your ears will help you keep a straight line from fingers to toes. Imagine that position for a second. Yes, you’ve got it. Instead of simply letting your feet wobble and sway, you will have to keep your toes pointed up towards the sky in order to do a perfect handstand.
