Have you always wanted to learn how to do a handstand without the support of a wall and without falling over? A handstand that you can do with confidence in the middle of the room without being afraid? It doesn’t matter how old you are and it doesn’t matter if you have never tried this before. It’s all about practice and in my 10 week arm balance challenge that you can try at home, I give you a homework for each week that will help you to get started with arm balances and a handstand. Try to dedicate 10 minutes of your day, and challenge your mind and body with fun arm balance practice. You’ll be surprised what a difference can a consistent practice make in terms of your strength, balance, and flexibility. Watch this video to see what we’ll be practicing in week #7:

This week’s practice is pretty straight forward and basic, but very important for laying down the foundation for being able to do the handstand without the wall eventually. Try to focus on being aware of what is going on in your body when you’re in the handstand and how you’re tensing your muscles in order to keep your balance. Remember that your core muscles which are all the muscle in your midsection, including your abs, lower back, glutes,  thighs, and hip flexors are the ones that you need to be able to control. It’s not just about your upper body strength. Also when it comes to a proper form for a handstand, you can choose to do a handstand with your body completely straight or with a slight arch in your back. If you prefer the curved handstands, then make sure that you are doing them right by tensing your core muscles and controlling the tension as oppose to just let your legs fall back without any control what so ever. That’s what makes the difference between safe handstands and dangerous handstands. It’s not the curve in your back, it’s your awareness and your ability to use your core for a support. It’s the same with any back bends. They can be dangerous if you go too far without enough practice, and focus, however they can be also very beneficial to your overall athleticism if you do them right.