7 Handstand Tips For Beginners

The elusive handstand is an exciting and fun pursuit but definitely one that will challenge you physically and mentally!

For those who are beginning their handstand journey, here’s our top 7 Handstand tips to help you progress: 

1. Trust The Process

Handstands are a super fun way to train and are rewarding when you start to stick the drills, but they can also be frustrating!

One day you’re feeling strong, getting long holds and your awareness in your body is super-charged. The next session, you’re fatiguing quickly, you just can’t seem to catch your hold and your alignment feels off.

It’s so important to realise that everyone has off days in their handstand practice. Trust that you’re always moving forward, even when it feels like a step backwards. 

2. Don’t Compare Or Compete With Others

While healthy competition can be motivating and inspiring to see others progress, you’ll find your handstand journey much more enjoyable if you compete only with yourself.

You’ll find areas of strength and weakness within your practice and it won’t be the same from person to person, so there’s no point in comparing your practice with another.

Focus on the progressive steps you make in your journey.

3. Be Patient

When learning a skill, patience is key along with being consistent.

Skill acquisition takes time; there is simply no magic pill!

It’s important to take care of your mental strength by staying positive in times of frustration. Learn your limits, become aware of how you feel during your practice and be kind to yourself!

4. Log Your Practice In A Journal

Logging your practice allows you to clearly see your progress and keeps you motivated towards your goals. 

By having a log book, you will have tangible data that clearly shows your progression. This is a much better way to gauge you progress than to simply base your progress on how you ‘feel’ from session to session.

5. Be Brave

The fear of being upside down is very common and often prevents people from progressing until they overcome it.

A lot of people who begin their handstand journey as an adult have not been on their hands and upside down since they were a kid. We lose the child-like confidence as we become older, which can really restrict our progress.

Feeling that you are strong enough and have the tools to stay safe in your practice allows you to overcome this fear. We help you do just that in our Handstand Foundations classes. After all, there is no progress inside your comfort zone!

6. Failure = Learning

Practice having a beginners mindset with the understanding that with every failure, your mind and body will learn something from it. 

7. Have Fun!

Handstands are playful, thrilling and fun at any level, especially with a group of like-minded individuals!