Yoga Handstands: Tips To Strengthen Your Shoulders
If you are new to yoga handstand poses, practice against the wall, use a spotter, take your time, and listen to your body. Before trying handstands, confirm you have the strength and are flexible enough to do them safely. If you feel pain, take a break and allow your body to recover to avoid injuries.
Yoga Poses to Strengthen Your Shoulders
Yoga poses to strengthen your shoulders may vary because everyone’s shoulders are different in strength levels and whether they are open or tight. Here are yoga moves that will help build strength in your shoulders:
Phalakasana (High Plank)
Get on your hands and knees and line your shoulders over your wrists. Spread your fingers wide and press them firmly into the mat. Look down at the mat and have your neck and spine in line with each other. As you straighten your arms and push the floor away, draw your shoulders away from the ears. Have your weight on your hands and knees, and remember to keep your body in a straight line.
Vasisthasana (Side Plank)
Lower your right knee to the mat from the high plank, let your body weight rest on the right hand, then spread the left arm towards the sky as you stack the hips and shoulders. Press the left foot into the mat.
Your right shoulder must be directly over the wrist and push away from the floor, drawing the shoulders away from the ears. Maintain the position and take long, slow deep breaths. You can keep the leg closest to the floor straight or bent depending on your comfort level. Switch to the other side after a few minutes.
Handstand Using the Wall
This simple move can be done by locking your arms out straight and placing them a few inches from a wall. You can then kick up so your weight is balanced on your hands and you are using the wall for support. This move can help strengthen your shoulders as they are carrying your body weight for as long as you can hold the position.
Benefits of Handstands
Handstands not only help strengthen your shoulders, but they also include several health benefits. Here are a few benefits you may enjoy from doing handstands:
Reduced Stress
Yoga handstand poses are therapeutic to the body and especially the brain as it releases hormones that can refresh it. Endorphins are feel-good hormones that may boost your mood, helping you to feel happier.
The handstand promotes an increased blood flow to the brain due to gravity, and your heart increases its output due to the muscle requirement. Handstands may boost your mood, helping to reduce depression while increasing your immunity.
Increased Body Strength
Handstand yoga poses offer a unique challenge that helps you build strength in your upper body. Once you are in a handstand position, your full body weight rests on your arms, hands, and shoulders.
This requires a lot of stability and strength in your triceps, shoulders, and forearms. As you progressively practice handstands, you can build strength in these muscles. This can potentially help you become more resistant to injuries and enable you to lift heavy weights.
Improved Balance
When you are inverted and depend on your arms and hands to support your weight, the slightest imbalance can make you fall. As you practice handstands, you can improve your coordination and balance. Doing this movement against a wall can provide a bit of support, but when you practice in the middle of a room, you have to be able to engage your core and balance all of your weight on your hands.
With good body balance, you may be able to enjoy other activities such as biking, rock climbing, skiing, and surfing. As you age, you may enjoy better body balance and coordination.
Strengthen Your Shoulders With Yoga Handstand Poses
Based on your comfort level, perfecting your handstand yoga may take several weeks or months. This is a movement that you can gradually build up to. Swap out perfection for perseverance, patience, and practice. These things can work together to give you an uplifting workout routine. To cool down and end on a relaxing note, consider ending your yoga handstand training with gentle, balancing stretches.
