Sandcurves

Okay, just for fun, let me teach you how to teach yourself how to do handstands in one year.  Of course, nobody writes a blog post like that - who wants to do handstands anyway.  Or is it some metaphor? 

Well, I'm one of those strange people who actually does exercise regularly, and one thing I always try to do is to find a way to make it a little different - interesting.  This year (ish) I am teaching myself to do handstands. 

Earlier on this blog I published a post about my workout, and would have left it at that.  But a visiting friend had a look at my blog and asked about these handstands.  So, I'll tell you about it - in a tutorial form. 

Up until last year I spent a lot of time walking, especially in hills and dunes.  I found that one thing that made a huge difference is having a good sense of balance, and I want to give myself a chance to keep that.  So I added handstands to my workout. 

Since I wrote the workout post, I have decided to cut out the handstands on Monday and Friday, when I don't work out at all but to increase the number of handstands I do with each workout.  I aim for about 10 each day.  It takes me some time, as I am doing most of them for about one minute now. 

Okay, the how to part.  Years ago I worked through a book on handstands and got really far with it, and decided, probably now almost twenty years later, to give it a shot again. 

I couldn't find the book again, but remember the rough progression.  Here is how I am doing it. 

First, I guess, I should make a disclaimer.  Handstands make you be upside-down.  The majority of your body's weight is above your neck.  You can fall on your head and break your neck, or something else like that if you follow the advice given below.  Don't do that, okay, and if you do, don't blame me.  Oh, and if you wear loose clothing, your shirt might fall down, exposing a bit of your body you may wish to keep hidden. 

Okay, we are going to start off by a wall.  I don't think you need mattresses and stuff like that - do you.  If you are unsure of your strength, the best thing is to have a strong friend help you out.  I sometimes do it with my boys and I hold them the whole way. 

Now, stand facing the wall, but a good two meters or so back from it.  Before we fling ourselves into a handstand, you need to know where you are going to put your hands. 

Try to get about the length of your forearm and hand away from the wall.  If you need to measure it out, place your arm on the ground, with the tips of your fingers against the wall.  You will need to aim roughly where your elbow is at.  If you are to close to the wall, you are going to bump your head… to far and you will fall over forward. 

Okay, step forward with one leg, and place your hands on the ground, just slightly wider than shoulder width apart.  Keep your fingers just slightly bent, and spread them out just a little. 

Your eyes should look at the point where the wall and the floor meet. 

Kick your legs up until they touch the wall - gently now.  Most likely on your first few attempts you will just kick up and come right down, perhaps without reaching the wall.  That's fine. 

Usually with my first handstand in a while, my nose feels funny and I sneeze.  Don't worry about that - your head isn't going to explode.  After a while you'll get over that feeling. 

Okay, for a few months that is all you are going to do (remember - this is a one year program).  At first, concentrate on actually getting to the wall and being able to hold yourself there.  Work up to being able to do that for about 20 seconds or so.  Concentrate on getting your body into a really good position - look at pics of gymnasts and copy that. 

Then start to concentrate on your hand strength.  Each time you go up to the wall, kick away from it a little, and try to balance yourself with the strength of your fingers.  You are not going to be able to do much at first, and don't overdo it.  Do about 10 each day - four about five days of the week.  It takes very little time. 

Once you can actually get away from the wall for more than a second or so, your focus should change to trying to get your time up.  We are aiming for one minute away from the wall.  This is going to take you some time. 

Once you have the one minute done, now you need to start getting away from the wall.  Now is the time to get a big mattress, out on your lawn or somewhere with space. 

With care not to break bones, start trying to do handstands without a wall.  I am assuming you did the forward role back when you were in school - and know how to tuck in your head when you go over forwards.  If you don't, learn that first.  Don't hurt your neck, please. 

Once you have that done, work up to a minute like that - i.e., one minute handstand without using a wall to start. 

Once you have that down, you are ready to start adding things.  The first thing is to get yourself to be able to hold a handstand in various ways.  Start with a book under one hand.  Increase the size of the book, eventually a few books, then a step, and so on, until you can balance yourself with your hands in different positions. 

You can also start trying to do a handstand on parallel bars, if you have something like that available. 

You can also try to get yourself up without swinging your legs.  By the time you get to here, you'll know what I mean. 

And then, well… do this, I guess:

I know, I know… it looks just like me, but this is actually some other dude who successfully followed my tutorial. 

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