One of the most important circus skills and a very good physical exercise with which we can get our body in shape, and at the same time learn one of the most important acrobatic tricks. Standing on our hands is one of the building blocks of acrobatic movement, as it strengthens our physical and spatial awareness. However, because standing on our hands is a demanding element when we do them on our own, many people give up before the visible results are shown. In the workshops, we will go through many different ways that can lead to a handstand that any gymnast would envy.
The exercises are designed to help you learn the correct exercises in a safe environment under the supervision of the watchful eye, while also overcoming certain fears that may arise when turning upside down. For complete beginners, we will start with simpler exercises such as standing on the head, frog, crocodile,… While for those who are already familiar with standing, the emphasis will be on tips for further improvement of standing on the hands.
Here are a bunch of facts why hand-standing exercise can be helpful (besides all the obvious reasons, of course 🙂
1. Strengthen your upper body. when exercising handstands, the whole body must be active, and most of all it strengthens the muscles in the arms, shoulders and upper back. 2. It helps to improve your sense of balance and body awareness. If you have ever tried to stand on your hands, you know that strength alone is not enough. When standing, our body and mind are always very present/connected, as all muscle groups must constantly adapt, balance and interact with each other in order to achieve a state of balance. 3. They can improve your overall mood / well-being. Not only will you become a master of balance, you may also feel better in general. Blood flow to the brain is calming and can increase energy levels, especially if you feel stressed. Another way in which standing exercise can help your mood is to reduce the production of the stress hormone cortisol. 4. core strength all the way! There is no need to spend hours and hours just doing crunches and planks. Hand-standing is very effective for strengthening the body core, as it requires a lot of stabilisation. Because turning upside down forces you to constantly stabilise your muscles, constantly working on your abdominal muscles as well as other key muscle groups such as pelvic floor muscles, external oblique abdominal muscles (slashes), internal thigh muscles and lower back. With regular exercise, you will get a well-balanced and strong center, which can help prevent further injuries and back pain. 5. They help with bone health, circulation and respiration. Because handstands are a type of a (body)weight exercise they help strengthen bones, and in addition, a properly performed standing exercise is beneficial for the health of your spine and bones in your arms, shoulders and wrists. At the same time it also relieves pressure on the legs and feet and at the same time stretches the diaphragm, which can increase blood flow to the lungs.