5 Habits For Better Handstands

Balancing on your hands can be tricky, so it's crucial to build good and consistent habits each time you handstand. Once these habits become second nature, you can focus more on the balancing itself without having to overthink each move. Good habits repeated daily usually leads to success.

1. Point your toes
   It's essential to always be mindful of the position of your feet and toes, as they are situated at the furthest end of your lower body. When you invert, your feet then become the highest point, so it’s extra important that you are maintaining constant control over them. The act of pointing your toes serves a dual purpose: it establish a proper connection with the rest of your body, and it also enhances the aesthetic appeal of your movements.

2. Straighten your arms & elevate from your scapula
   Your arms and shoulders are the key to a solid handstand foundation. Keeping your base stable is crucial, so try to maintain its original position without deviation. Locking your elbows and pushing tall from your scapula is essential to give your handstand the necessary stability. The shoulders are a critical part that tends to collapse first, making it the most crucial aspect to focus on.

3. Look down at the floor
   When beginners handstand, most of them almost always look through their arms into the blank distance. While this gaze might feel more natural, it is considerably more difficult than simply looking down at the floor. When we gaze down to the floor, we specifically want to see the space between our thumbs of both hands. The oval area around your hands is the space where you want to stack your body upon, gazing directly there can offer you a clear “target” as to where to stack. Not only that, it is also much more grounding to be able to see the floor as you balance. Looking through your arms and up to the sky will complicate things especially your center of gravity.

4. Lengthen your body, avoid hanging
   Balancing in a handstand requires constant activity, particularly for beginners. It's crucial not to relax your body and instead focus on maintaining length in your handstand. This lengthening process makes your body feel longer, lighter, and provides more room for error. When we relax, there's a tendency for the shoulders to collapse, and the feet and legs to drop. To counteract this, pushing tall from your scapula and lifting your feet towards the sky helps maintain a straighter alignment, contributing to better balance. Maintaining your body length can put you in control to balance, instead of just trying not to fall.

5. Find the best stack
   A key to a stable handstand is maintaining a well-stacked alignment in any position. Stacking ensures optimal weight distribution, making it crucial to prioritize each time you go upside down. This focus becomes even more critical during transitions between different shapes. The consistent factor across various alignments is to keep the center of gravity within the stacking point, giving you the most freedom and options towards better control.