Set your feet a comfortable distance apart. Having them too narrow or too wide may make your kick-up feel difficult and unnatural. It doesn’t matter which leg is up front and which one is in the back. However, many gymnasts prefer to keep their stronger leg up front to provide more power and stability on their way up.

If your arms are bent too much when you get into an inverted position, it will make it much harder to hold yourself up.

Spread your fingers wide to create a more stable base. [2] X Research source This is only the first stage of the kick-up, which you’ll perform in a single fluid motion when you’re ready to actually attempt a handstand.

Do your best to keep your legs touching the whole time you’re in your handstand. That way, you can avoid separation or windmilling, which can throw off your balance. It may take some time to fine-tune your kick-up and learn to gauge how much force you need to get inverted without falling forward or backward. Be patient—this is one of the most difficult parts of the gymnastics handstand.

Be sure to straighten out any bent or slack points. If a single part of your body comes out of alignment, you’ll lose your handstand or have to struggle to regain control. When you’re first learning how to hold a handstand, you may be tempted to look down at your hands, which is okay. In a proper handstand, however, your head should be in line with the rest of your body, with your gaze fixed somewhere in front of you. [5] X Research source Don’t forget to point your toes if you’re a competitive gymnast. Judges will deduct points for floppy feet!

It’s a little easier to counter-balance with your fingers than with the heels of your hands. If a standard palm-push doesn’t work, bend your elbows slightly to put your body in a more forward-leaning position and save your handstand. As long as you keep your legs together, you shouldn’t have to worry too much about falling to either side.

In a pinch, you can also bring both legs down at the same time and sink your weight into the balls of both feet to absorb the impact. If you want to drill getting in and out of your handstands, practice kicking up and holding the handstand briefly before stepping down into your lunge and repeating the process.

Write down your best time and see if you can beat it the next time you practice. Don’t get discouraged if you have one or two really good handstands followed by a lousy one. This is completely normal. Your attempts will start to get more consistent as you continue to dial-in your technique.

If possible, find an area that offers you an amount of space equal to the full length of your body with your arms stretched over your head, plus an extra 1–2 feet (0. 30–0. 61 m). Make sure that there are no objects in your immediate vicinity that you could hit when you kick up or if you happen to fall.

Basic yoga poses like child’s pose, plank, downward dog, boat pose, and standing split can also be useful for getting your muscles ready for a workout. [12] X Research source Not only will stretching make you less likely to hurt yourself, it will also maximize your range of motion, making it easier to enter and hold a handstand.

Try walking up and down the wall 3-5 times before you rest. The more “reps” you do, the faster you’ll increase your strength and stability. Once you get the hang of walking up the wall, start kicking up into your handstand with your back to the wall to simulate the technique of a freestanding handstand. [14] X Research source

Having a spotter on standby can also ease your nerves if you’re worried about over-kicking. If under-kicking is the issue, your spotter can place one hand on your midsection to give you a little extra lift as you kick up. [17] X Research source