Top 5 Benefits of Doing Handstands Daily
Share
One of the main reasons why handstands are underrated is because most people feel that they can’t do them. They are often seen as a preserve of people who did gymnastics when they were young. However, the truth is, you can start even now and can reap the handstand’s benefits that come along with it.
If you do handstands daily, you will enjoy many health benefits as explained below.
Builds Upper Body Strength
Staying upside down for any duration requires a massive amount of arm, shoulder, and upper back strength. It is for this reason that beginners often start shaking after a few seconds of handstand.
To ensure that you build sufficient strength, begin by holding a handstand against an upright wall for about three sets each 5 to 10 second. You can push this time to a minute or two and increase the frequency of the workout.
Enhances Your Balance
Balancing skills are critical in holding yourself up. This is especially true when doing freestanding handstand instead of leaning against a wall. Balancing demands a full control over your body muscles and makes small adjustments constantly to prevent you from falling.
If you have never done freestanding handstands before, you can start by doing handstands against a wall and then gradually take your feet off to help increase your balance.
Handstands Strengthens Your Core
Staying upside down stabilizes your muscles, works out your abs, and other critical muscle groups such as inner thigh muscles, hamstrings, hip flexors, lower back, and obliques. When you train handstands daily, your core will be the ultimate beneficiary.
Boosts Your Mood
Handstands have been known to make you feel happy. As blood flows to your brain, it energizes and calms it. This is beneficial when you are feeling stressed. Besides, handstand benefits the production of cortisol, a stress hormone. In the short term, this will de-stress and relieve you from anxiety and minor depression.
To add to the above, handstands are a weight-bearing CrossFit exercise which helps in strengthening bones and aids in reducing the vulnerability to osteoporosis. Researches also state that handstand improves bone health and boost circulation.