Standing upside down is easier than you think. I'll show you the best exercises to learn how to do a headstand.
Did you know that the headstand comes from yoga? In yoga it is also called Sirsasana, meaning "king of the asanas". And rightly so.
It takes a lot of courage to stand on your head. But once you've overcome it, it's a wonderful feeling.
Learning to stand on your head really pays off. It's worth turning the world upside down for a change and looking at it from a different perspective.
But especially as a beginner, it's a big challenge. That was also the case for me. But then I simply started with Learn headstand started.
And lo and behold, after a short time I stretched my feet in the air and supported myself with my head and arms on the mat. But of course that took some time.
Table of contents
I remember the first time I saw a really elegant headstand, I thought to myself: I want to be able to do that too.
But already at the first attempt it was clear: It's not that easy. Even though it looks easy as pie, it takes a lot of effort to actually lift your legs off the ground.
I dared the duel against gravity anyway. And it was worth it. Now I can do a headstand. So that you also succeed, I show you here, how you can do a Learn headstand can.
When practicing a headstand or handstand, a headstand stool can help you. It helps you keep your balance and gives you a more secure stance. It also gives the body time to get used to standing upside down.
I recommend the Headstand stool from SIYA, it has far and wide the best ratings. It is made of wood, particularly robust, non-slip, has ergonomic handles and is Made in Germany.
With the stool you learn playfully easy to get into the headstand. It provides security during practice and relieves arms and neck. But you can also do a whole range of other exercises with it. If you are interested, please inform yourself directly on the Siya website.
Find out more about the Siya stool here!
Can anyone learn headstand?
Basically, anyone can venture into headstand training. To learn a headstand, you must be healthy. You must not have any injuries or limitations that prevent it.
As beautiful as it looks, a headstand is quite a strain on your body. There are diseases and situations in which you not learn a headstand should.
- Herniated discs
- Heart problems
- High blood pressure
- Injuries and inflammations in the back, cervical spine, shoulder, skull, eyes or ears
- During menstruation
- And during pregnancy
What is also out of place: too much false ambition! You need much more perseverance and patience.
Then the training is worthwhile all along the line and has positive effects on body and mind. You improve your sense of balance, can relieve the spine and build strength in the back, abdomen, arms and shoulders.
In 7 steps to the first push-up
What does the perfect headstand look like?
Technology is everything. Especially when you stand upside down. Therefore, pay attention to very clean execution!
- The hands are behind the head. The fingers are interlaced.
- Do not rest the head on the forehead or back of the head. Instead, rest it on the crown of the head. This is the only way to align the cervical spine correctly.
- Press your upper arms firmly to the floor and pull your shoulders long - away from your ears.
- Distribute the weight evenly on the head and forearms.
How long does it take to learn a headstand?
When you can stand upside down completely free for the first time depends on your fitness level. Someone who has strong core muscles (abdomen and back) will have a much easier time than someone who is just starting out in sports. As an intermediate athlete, you can do your routine in four weeks.
As a beginner in sports you have to deal with Strengthening exercises of the trunk and arms and slowly work your way forward.
What is the best way to learn a headstand?
Headstands are a very challenging posture. Especially as a beginner, the risk of injury should not be underestimated. In order to get in and out of the workout pain-free, you should keep these points in mind when practicing:
- Stay patient and calm
Have the big goal in mind, but take it slow. Give your body the time it needs and stay calm if everything doesn't work out right away. - Do not give too much weight on the neck
Attention: The neck is very sensitive. If you tip to the side, it can end badly. The correct position of the arms helps to take pressure off the neck. - Do not be anxious and tense
Practice with someone who can do headstands. This provides safety - make sure your training partner stabilizes you at the level of the pelvis. - Do not practice exclusively on the wall
In the beginning, the wall is a great way to get more confidence. However, you should quickly detach yourself from it, otherwise you will never get into the classic headstand.
Preparation for the first headstand
To start learning headstand, you already need muscles, especially in the upper body and abdomen. We start with three preliminary exercises that show you whether you can already muster enough body tension.
The dolphin to learn headstand
Before you stand upside down, you first need to get some feel for it. So you start with simple yoga exercises to build strength and learn how it feels to stand upside down.
- You start in the quadruped stance.
- Support yourself off the floor with your forearms and toes.
- Make sure the elbows are just below the shoulder.
- The fingers are interlaced to provide a firm base.
- Stretch the legs through and push the buttocks into the air. The back is straight at the same time!
- The back and legs remain stretched.
Try to actively build up body tension. This is crucial if you want to learn a headstand!
The stool in test: my experience with it!
- Now take a deep breath and push your head in front of your fist.
- The upper body comes nice and slowly parallel to the floor.
- The legs must remain stretched.
- The shoulders are now in front of your elbows.
- As you exhale, push your butt back up to the starting position (Figure 1).
Depending on your fitness level, you should be able to do at least 5 reps.
The more, the better your body tension already is and the better it is for your first headstand.
It gets more difficult when you lift one leg in the air. It should always form a line with your back.
The boat in preparation for the headstand
To get your legs in the air, you need a large amount of abdominal muscles. That's why abdominal exercises should be included in every preparation.
Revealed! These are the most effective abdominal exercises!
- Sit down on the exercise mat. Angle your legs.
- The back is stretched. Lean back slightly until the legs come off the mat.
- Pull your legs toward your torso. Continue until your shins are parallel to the floor.
- Your hands are stretched forward.
- Consciously activate your abdominal muscles. This will make your back more stable.
Depending on your body tension, you can now start to stretch your legs forward.
Attention: Hollow back danger! You can prevent this by tightening your stomach. If you don't succeed, take a look at our Hollow back exercises over!
We keep in mind: If you want to learn a headstand, you must have good body tension. Especially the abdomen and upper arms must be trained! If you have problems holding the two exercises for a long time, you should give yourself a little more time.
The best tricks for the first headstand
Inverted postures of all kinds are very challenging. Especially for beginners, this position brings a lot of risk of injury. To prevent this from happening to you and to help you get upside down without pain, you should know a few tips and tricks.
1. start with sun salutations
Before you start with headstand exercises, you need to warm up well and activate your body. Sun salutations are especially good for this. Stretch your shoulders and neck by circling your arms and head. Plan at least 10 minutes for the warm up. You will become more flexible and loosen your muscles.
Make in few Abdominal exercises, so that you activate your core muscles.
2. take your time to practice headstand
Always stay calm and enjoy the small progress. It's not about standing upside down in your living room in two hours. Rather, it's about setting yourself small intermediate goals.
Learning to stand on your head quickly never works. Set a fixed time when you can practice. Without rushing before or after.
Try to clear your head. This works best with very deep breaths and concentration on the here and now.
3. store the weight correctly
Even though you may have seen it somewhere: When you stand on your head, you are not standing exclusively on your head.
Rather, it is a mix of forearms and head.
It is dangerous to put too much weight on your head because you compress your cervical spine. If you tip to the side, you can hurt yourself badly.
That's why when learning to stand on your head, you always use your hands. But not with the palms up. But not with the palms supported, but with the forearms lying down.
It's explained really well in this video I found on YouTube
4. get help
There's no question about it: learning to stand on your head involves a certain amount of danger.
That's why it's best to get a partner. Someone who gives you security. Helps you if you start to wobble or can no longer hold on.
It is important that your training partner does not support your legs or feet, but stabilizes your pelvis.
Even though you may not be able to get into the position yourself yet: Let someone help you and hold the headstand. You will get a feeling for it and that will help you later when you stand up on your own.
5. faith in you
Learning a headstand means having self-confidence. If you are afraid of hurting yourself, then this attitude is not very conducive. The likelihood of you hurting yourself is much greater now.
I never doubted that I would eventually make it. I went into every training session with exactly this attitude. A positive attitude and motivation are important for your success!
6. try a headstand stool
Do you already know the headstand stool? This is a sturdy stool that makes learning headstand so much easier. Put your head in, hold it with your hands right and left and lift your feet.
A purchase is also worthwhile because it is a boon for the neck and head. You have less anxiety and are less tense. This also means that your head and neck are relaxed because they receive less pressure.
We built ourselves a headstand stool, which was also used immediately during the shoot. More about the Topic headstand stool you can read here.
To the headstand in 5 simple steps
Important: Do not release your legs from the floor until you are 100 %ig sure that your torso and upper body can support the weight.
Step 1: Learn headstand starting position
By the way, you can also lean all these exercises against the wall at the beginning. This gives you more security. Or you can get a partner to make sure you don't fall over. You can read more about the best tips and tricks for the first headstand under these exercises.
- You start in the quadruped stance.
- The knees are under your hips. The feet are supported on the toes.
- Your elbows are under your shoulders and open about shoulder width. For many beginners, the distance between the elbows is too large! The width should be such that you can reach the opposite elbow with your hands.
- The back is straight.
- Interlace your fingers and form a small nest for the head with your hands.
Step 2: Put down head
Now we bring the head to the mat.
- To do this, put your head between your arms.
- The little finger that touches the mat is best taken inside. Otherwise, all the pressure will rest on this finger. This can be very painful.
- Important: Do not place the forehead or the back of the head on the mat. Instead, place the crown of the head on the mat. This way you can be sure that the cervical spine is well aligned.
Step 3: Stretch the legs
If you still feel unsure about this exercise, do not go any further. Practice this until you feel more confident. Balance is especially important here!
- Now you start to stretch the legs from the hips.
- Take tiny steps and bring your legs towards you as far as you can.
- Tense the torso and pull the knees to the chest.
- Try to bring the pelvis above your head. Or at least as close as is possible for you.
Step 4: Legs in the air
This step in learning to stand on your head will cost you the most effort. Lift the legs really only when you feel safe enough!
- Tighten the abdomen firmly.
- Bend the legs and pull them towards the upper body in a controlled manner.
- Raise the bent legs very slowly until the thighs are as parallel to the floor as possible.
- Keep your stomach tight to protect your back.
For this you need a lot of strength in the abdominal muscles!
Step 5: while learning headstand - stretch legs
Now it's time to get down to business. Please only do this if you feel very confident. Alternatively - protect yourself against a wall.
- Keep the legs bent at first. Bring the knees over the hips.
- Hold the position and breathe deeply in and out.
- Slowly begin to push the legs into the headstand and stretch through.
Many people find it easy to bring their thighs up in the air first and tilt their legs back. And then slowly straighten leg by leg. Like in this photo.
For me it is easier to stretch the legs as a whole right through. Without first bending the legs backwards as in the photo.
Once you have found your center, you can start like me by consciously stretching your legs backwards, forwards, upwards or downwards. This creates super beautiful photos :)
This is how you achieve the perfect handstand!
After the inversion posture
Hold the position only as long as you feel comfortable. After that, head back towards the floor.
Don't jump up right away, stay in the Child's Pose for a few breaths and give your body time to adjust. The blood flow must now return to normal.
The importance of the inversion posture in yoga
Doing a headstand is really difficult. Nevertheless, headstands are one of the basic exercises in Hatha Yoga.
In Sanskrit, the headstand is called Sirsasana, which translates as King of the Asanas.
A simple headstand is already wonderful. Once you are properly trained, you will also succeed in various leg postures.
Headstand effect on our body
Such a headstand not only looks very impressive. It strengthens your entire body. From the top of your head to the tips of your toes. Headstands have besides physical but also spiritual benefits, one is sure in yoga. This could also be demonstrated in many studies.
1. learning headstand improves concentration
When you stand upside down, blood flows to your heart and head. The higher blood flow to the brain ensures that your thinking performance improves.
Through the unaccustomed posture you also become more mindful and calmer. Only by focusing on the here and now is it possible to stay in balance.
Everything that was stressing you out just now has suddenly disappeared. To really get your legs in the air, you have to learn to switch off and banish disturbing factors from your mind.
2. the headstand for better blood circulation
But it's not just the brain that benefits. Since you position your legs above your head, you can prevent vein congestion. So if your legs feel really heavy, just stand on your head :)
It is also said to prevent varicose veins. However, it is questionable how many hours a day you would have to stand upside down to see an effect.
By breathing deeply and consciously, you take in more oxygen. And that provides your brain, muscles, bones and tissues with more nutrients.
3. headstand for digestion
Do you often suffer from a bloated belly? Then you should learn a headstand as soon as possible. If you can stand on your head, you stimulate your digestion.
The organs hang in a different direction and are thus loosened. Thus, the bloated belly disappears into thin air.
4. promotes creative thinking
Learning to stand on your head is a great way to boost creativity. Since you suddenly see everything from a different perspective, it can help you dissolve old thought patterns. You replace them with new ideas, solutions and ways.
Negative thoughts such as fears and worries dissolve.
5. you strengthen your upper body
The legs are our base. Day in and day out, they give us support and carry us through everyday life. Time to relieve them a little.
The headstand reverses everything and brings the arms and shoulders into focus.
By the way, in the reverse pose the weight does not rest on the head, but on the shoulders and arms that support you.
6. learn headstand = trunk training
In order to be able to straighten your legs, you need to have good abdominal muscles. In yoga, it is also assumed that self-confidence is located in the center of the body - in the torso.
You need balance so that you don't topple over backwards or forwards. And that's exactly what the torso is responsible for.
In the headstand, we learn to consciously activate the abdominal muscles. Only then can we lift our legs upwards against gravity.
In short, headstand practice is a super abdominal workout.
7. headstands make happy
And that on several levels. If you are diligent in learning headstand, you will see the first results relatively soon. This makes us proud and fills us with a lot of good humor.
However, the mood already gets better while practicing. This is due to the blood flow, which gets our circulation going. And that fills us with lots of energy.
Our conclusion
Learning to stand on your head is not that difficult. At least, if you already have some strength in the arms and torso. Because without muscles, of course, nothing works. You need good body control and body tension.
Be sure to start slowly with headstands and take your time. As a total fitness beginner, please do not copy!
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