How to Do an Aerial Flip

Cartwheels are an acrobatic maneuver that are popular with young children. A cartwheel is performed by bending the body sideways, planting both hands on the ground and kicking your legs over your upper body to come down on the other side of your hands. For acrobatic performers that are more physically gifted, advanced cartwheels can be performed. An aerial is a hands-free cartwheel. While the body still rotates sideways as if going over the top of the performer's hands, no support is placed on the ground, with the legs providing enough upward thrust to perform the aerial unassisted.

Things You'll Need

  • Folding gym mats (optional)
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Instructions

    • 1

      Practice performing a basic cartwheel, leaning over one hip, placing your hands down and kicking your legs over top.

    • 2

      Reduce the weight supported by your hands gradually, until you are barely using your hands to cartwheel.

    • 3

      Lay out a gymnastics mat if you have one, then place a second mat next to it, folded up so that it is elevated. Using this elevated platform to practice is not required, but it will help to make the transition to no hands easier.

    • 4

      Kick off sideways with the foot opposite the direction you will rotate, generating momentum in the direction of rotation.

    • 5

      Push off the ground with the leg that matches the hip you are rotating about to drive your body off the ground as you rotate.

    • 6

      Look in the direction of the ground as you rotate to see your landing area.

    • 7

      Land with the foot you kicked sideways with first, then the foot that pushed off the ground.