Handstands are one of the trickier poses to master, but have great benefits. As well as helping build strength in your core, arms, shoulders, and wrists, being upside down also naturally boosts circulation in the upper body. Scroll down for a video tutorial that walks through how to do a handstand in only a little more than 10 minutes.
All you need to follow this tutorial is a wall and a mat. You want to be especially sure your mat isn't going to slip – take a look at our roundup of the best yoga mats for options that won't end up with you face-planting the floor. If you're brand new to yoga, be aware this is an advanced pose – start with the our best yoga workout for beginners and work your way up from there.
This popular video tutorial from Yoga with Briohny walks through the steps you need to follow to learn how to do a handstand. There are shorter videos out there, but this how-to starts with a full range of warm-up examples. Although you might be tempted to skip this section and go straight to the bit where you're upside-down, we'd recommend you don't do this. Warming up the core, spine, shoulders and – especially – wrists, is absolutely vital to mastering a handstand without doing yourself a damage.
Aside from that, it's key to strengthening the muscles that are going to keep you up there effectively (want to take things up a notch? Here's the best core workout and the best arm exercises for beginners).
However, if you have your own warm-up sequence sorted, the handstand section of this video starts at around 10.40. But the full thing is only around 13 minutes, so we'd encourage you to follow it all.
For some more yoga inspiration, take a look at this 10-minute energising yoga sequence designed to stretch you out and wake you up (ideal for fighting that mid-afternoon slump, or to kick-start your day first thing in the morning). Or if you're finding a desk-based 9-to-5 is leaving you stiff and tense, try these desk exercises.
- Slipping on your mat? Pick up one of the best yoga towels to add extra grip
- Browse our pick of the best yoga wheels to help improve backbends
- Want to push your stretches further? Here are the best yoga blocks
- Want to build strength? Here's where to buy weights online
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