How to do a back handspring in 7 easy steps--Gabbie

Have you ever wondered how gymnasts, cheerleaders, and even football players do all of those crazy flips? Well I am here to explain to you the basics. Ever since I was little, I have tried to learn how to tumble. I learned in gymnastics and it was quite a difficult and scary skill to learn. I mean throwing yourself upside down and backwards is pretty nerve wracking. But once you get the hang of it, it is one of the more simple tumbling skills and in most cases the foundation for other tumbling passes. The back handspring is a skill that gymnasts, cheerleaders, and now even football players execute. A back handspring is the skill where a person squats and then swings their arms behind them to flip over. It sounds pretty simple, but there are a few specifications I would like to add before everyone just tries swinging their ams in front of them and throwing themselves backwards. This is a skill that anyone can acquire! So nonetheless, here is the anatomy of the back handspring. Here is what you will need: Yourself, and the ground (preferably a mat or the grass). Step 1: Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Boo 2 Step 2: Squat down so that your knees are about 90 degrees. We call this “chairing” because you are literally trying to get in the proper form and that is similar to sitting in a chair. Step 3: Place your arms straight out in front of you and parallel to each other. Step 4: Swing your arms down and backwards behind you, then back upwards in front of you. This allows you to gain momentum when you throw your arms over your head to get over. Step 5: Now this step is crucial. Be sure that once you swing your arms and throw yourself over, your arms are locked out and straight when they make contact with the ground. You will be in an backbend or “bridge” on the ground, and if you fail to lock out your arms, you may risk falling on your head because they are bent. Step 6: Once you are done swinging your arms for momentum and making contact with the floor with straight and locked out arms, you finally need to snap your feet down to the ground. Essentially if you think about it in slow motion, you will be in a handstand in the middle of the back handspring. So once you are in that handstand position, your hands must push off of the ground or “spring” off. Then drive your feet downwards and snap them to the ground with feet together. Step 7: Finally, once you land with feet together, stand up with hands above you in the air and parallel to your ears. This is how a gymnast lands, and it frankly just looks clean and pretty! These are the basic steps to master a back handspring. I have shared these steps in case anyone was ever wondering how gymnasts, cheerleaders, and football players do all of those “flips” in their routines or even before a game. This is the foundation for even more difficult skills such as a back handspring back tuck, layout, full, etcetera. Although I have shared these steps with you, I do not intend for you to be reading these off of your computer and attempting Boo 3 this at home. But if you are attempting this, please make sure you have someone that is certified and experienced to spot you so you do not fall on your head. Be safe and enjoy!