Handstand tips I wish I’d known!

I’d always dreamed of achieving my freestanding handstand and I know you can achieve this too! If I could sum up my learning journey in just 4 main tips, here is what I wish had been drilled into my practice from the very beginning:

1. Strengthen your core, arms and shoulders. It seems obvious but it’s so easy to ‘fluff’ a warm-up. Keep your warm-ups specific to what you are training but try to incorporate core and shoulder strengthening in all of your sessions.

2. Use handstand wall kick-ups as your warm-up & cool-down! Make it a habit to, after every warmup, kick up into your handstand against the wall and hold it for as long as you can. Repeat this again at the end of your training session. Don't forget to time yourself so you can try to beat your own personal best every time 🙂.

3. Don't forget to use your hands and fingertips. Spread your fingertips out and raise them upwards like little tree roots. Experiment using the tips of your fingers to move your balance forward and back. Your hands and fingers will help you find and control balance.

4. Fall out of your handstand on purpose. Now this last tip is what helped me the most to finally be able to come off the wall and achieve that free standing handstand.

Fear is the main inhibitor of your handstand and it prevented mine for a long time. I NEEDED to learn how to fall out of my handstand, safely and purposefully. I feel confident in my cartwheels, so I practiced cartwheeling into my handstand, bringing both legs to tap together in the middle and then moving one of my bottoms hands to the side to exit. Try not to overthink this one, just tell yourself OK:

  • Step 1 - Cartwheel

  • Step 2- Clap legs together and touch the ceiling with toes

  • Step 3 - Move one hand off to the side to come out

If you don’t like to cartwheel, you can also do the above just the same using a wall.

Once your body and your mind know you are safe going upside down into your handstand your practice will change forever. It will give you the freedom to truly find that perfect balance by being able to explore and practice without the wall.

Love, Tessa

(Follow @tessa_poledancer)