Handstands are inverted poses which involve supporting the body weight on the hands. They may be performed with or without the assistance of a coach, or of a bolstering wall. Handstands can benefit circulation, balance, and upper-body strength, and are performed as part of several types of exercise. Attempt handstands cautiously, keeping in mind your physical-fitness levels, flexibility, previous injuries, and sports experience.
Yoga Handstand - Adho Mukha Vrksasana
Begin with a downward-facing dog pose, getting on all fours, with the arms and legs extended fully so the body forms an inverted "V" shape. Do this pose with your fingertips one to two inches from a wall, suggests Yoga Journal. From straight arms and legs, bend one knee forward into a lunge, then kick the straight leg up against the wall, immediately following with the bent leg. Hold the handstand for at least 10 to 15 seconds, and, with practice, for up to a minute. Alternate which leg you use for the lunge and kick up to the wall, to tone both legs equally.
Gymnastics and Calesthenics: Press to Handstand
The website Drills and Skills recommends working your way up to handstands from headstands; practice the moves against a wall, or with a spotting coach. Begin with a headstand press, where you place the top of your head on the floor, and hands, palms down, beside your head. Bend at the waist, with your feet still on the floor. Keep your feet together in front of you, known as a pike position, or spread them apart into a "V," or straddle position. Keeping your legs straight, slowly draw them up until your feet are directly over your body. Once you have the strength and balance to perform press headstands independently, add press handstands. Lean forward with straight arms, pressing the hands into the floor for stability. Draw the legs up from either a pike or straddle position, until the feet are overhead and the body is one straight line.
Capoeira Handstands
Capoeira, a Brazilian form of exercise, fuses acrobatics, dance, and martial arts. The website Virtual Capoeira outlines many of the discipline's movements that involve handstands, including Au de Costa, where an individual walks forward then arches backward into a handstand and back walkover The Au Malandro move involves a half-cartwheel into a one-armed handstand, pinning the opponent between one's scissoring legs. In Escorpiao, one ducks, then jumps into a handstand, twisting to extend the legs in the direction of the opponent.
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