How to Arch Your Back While Doing a Back Handspring

Arching your back is the key to doing a back handspring. If you fail to arch your back, you could seriously injure your joints and possibly pull or tear a muscle. It's also essential that you arch your back as it helps put your body in an angle that helps you to push off of the surface to execute the handspring. Practice arching your back in other ways before you attempt to perform a handspring. For your safety, you should have a professional spot you while you are first learning to perform a handspring.

Instructions

    • 1

      Arch your back into a bridge. In order to make a bridge, place your arms next to your ears, straight above your head. Keep your feet firmly planted, and lean backwards, back in arch position, as arched as you can make it. With your arms next to your ears, follow them with your eyes so that you can see the approaching floor. Plant your hands firmly on the floor to steady yourself.

    • 2

      Try a handspring after you have mastered arching your back with the bridge. Arch your back for a handspring using the same method that you did for the bridge. Stand with your feet together and place your arms next to your side to begin the handspring.

    • 3

      Use a fluid motion to complete the handspring as you need the momentum of your speed to push you off of the floor. Bend your knees and place yourself in a sitting position as if you are sitting in a chair. Raise your arms approximately 10 inches from your knees and in one quick motion swing your arms back to your sides and up above your head as you push off of the floor with your feet. Keep your stomach muscles tight. Push off so that you are going backwards, not upwards, this is where the back arch comes in.

    • 4

      Arch your back as you propel over and leave your hands next to your ears as you connect with the floor. For a split second you will be in a handstand position, so push off of the floor using your shoulder muscles. Keep your legs straight as you kick over and bend them slightly as you connect with the floor. Come to a standing position to finish the handspring.