Too old to practice handstands? | The Art of handbalancing

[@covingtoncreek]

Cool! For me, I tried briefly when I was about 20, and rapidly gave up. The past 5 years or so, I've been reevaluating all the things that I regret not doing in my life and this is one of them. I also started a musical instrument; that's another regret having tried and given up many times. At 53, I'm not in my 20s, but I have mental fortitude to never give up, unlike back then. I can almost hold a handstand now. I'm very, very close. Way better than I was when I was 20. :)

[@NatalieReckert]

Hello and thank you for sharing your experience. I found that really interesting to read. I think self management of feelings clarity of mind are key and both improve with age I would say too. Well done for creating priorities in your life.

[@sophier5508]

I started practicing handstands at age 46, now I am 48, still doing good, I have just achieved a 1-minute handstand without any wall nearby and I am simply enjoying the journey :)

[@NatalieReckert]

Super good! That's lovely to hear.

[@kecskemetib]

Great answer. As an adult, especially late 30s and beyond, everything is a trade-off. No one likes trade-offs, so we express it as "being too old". Of course there are the biggest trade-offs, focusing on career and family vs. developing a very specific skill or hobby. Even looking only at physical fitness there are many trade-offs, especially for trained people. Untrained people benefit from anything they do. I am quite well trained and on the intermediate level and above, it's not possible to do everything. The more advanced the person, the more specific the training becomes, but as we age, we have to focus more and more on maintaining general fitness as well. Personally nowadays I work in cycles, for a few months I will focus on one thing while doing the minimum to maintain everything else. I hope to be able to peak physically in my 40s and after that just be happy to be able to maintain as much as possible.

[@NatalieReckert]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this and I very much agree about the trade offs! Interesting to hear about your training cycles too and your way of prioritising! It think efficiently prioritizing what's important and what's not become more important the older and/or busier you get. Reminds me: I should practice some tonight ;) Thank you for your words.

[@kecskemetib]

@@NatalieReckert for prioritising what helps me is to set goals... which reminds me, I really hope that you come to Berlin for a workshop sometime!

[@juliofigueroa9217]

I am currently 47 years old. I started handstand at 40 and currently fighting with handstand in one hand. Your videos are a great inspiration. You are beauty, skilful and a great teacher.

[@NatalieReckert]

Super good! Grea that you are practicing one arm handstands. Thank you and best wishes

[@juliofigueroa9217]

@@NatalieReckert 🥰 Thank you 🥰

[@msappledumplin]

@Julio Figueroa mind sharing what all you did to achieve that

[@juliofigueroa9217]

@@msappledumplin I´m not achieve (yet) one arm handstand. But i recomend you the videos of Natalie here🙂 Full handstand for 1 minute is mandatory I guess before .

[@jonase2466]

I started practicing handstands in 2021 when I was 46 years old. I didn't have any previous experience or background in handstands or gymnastics. In fact, I come from a non-athletic background working a lot in front of the computer. I had (and still have) a full-time job and family. On average, I practice handstands a little less than an hour a day and find that my body still adapts and changes with training. That's really encouraging so I see no reason to stop. Thanks for the dance, Natalie! It really helped! 😉

[@NatalieReckert]

Hello Jonas, thank you for sharing your thoughts. It is great to see how much you have learned. It is not easy to fit handstands into daily life, an hour of practice is great.

[@covingtoncreek]

You're just a youngster, not even 50 yet. Good for you!

[@normandtourangeau2268]

I started practicing handstands 3 years ago at 62 years ago and i am still improving my skill. So definitely you are never too old to start practicing handstands

[@normandtourangeau2268]

62 years old

[@NatalieReckert]

That's really great to hear! I agree. Kepp up the good work and enjoy.

[@michelfavre1696]

Thans for your sharing. I am 63 years old and I have been practicing since I was 58. This is happiness😀

[@NatalieReckert]

Yay! Very happy to hear. Working with the body and exploring new possibilities is great at any age. Best wishes

[@BipolarCourage]

I have been learning handstand at the age of 50, with big hips and carrying some extra weight. Going at my own pace. Can now kick up to wall for a few seconds. My physique already looks more balanced with developing more upper body strength

[@NatalieReckert]

So great to hear and well done! Small steps at your pace is just perfect!

[@BipolarCourage]

@@NatalieReckert 6 weeks in & able to do a wall handstand briefly, I pulled a groin muscle with lunge to kickup (I used some momentum as otherwise no way to get my big hips up into air without standing on furniture). Think I need to take kickup out of the equation as too forceful & risky for me. Want to keep the shoulder & arms strength I have developed.

[@jerrygauld9066]

Im living Proof age dosent matter I'm 74 I started trying to hand stand at 4 month befor my 73 birthday by August I had finally starting To hit freestyle handstands I'm slowly but surely I'm getting pretty solid. God only knows how many times I have tried and failed to freestyle. But finally I'm Conquering it . The first time I tried to kick up on my hands was a eye Opening experience. I couldn't believe how much I weighed. And to be fair I am extremely Healthy and in excellent shape. The wall is your friend even though i can freestyle now i still use the wall to get warmed up . I hand stand every day.

[@NatalieReckert]

Hello and thank you for sharing your experience. I am very happy to hear that you have progressed so much! Keep up the good work :)

[@hollygsphpr]

Natalie thank you for saying this....age is just a number, I like to do hollow back handstands, it feels amazing & is so much fun, I'm 65yrs 🤭

[@NatalieReckert]

Oh wow, well done hollow backs are not easy. Thank you and best wishes

[@MucksundMäuschen]

Haha, you mention 20 and 30 (even! 40!) as old....😂, I started with 51 and never gave up (53 now). I'm able to hold a freestanding straight handstand for about 20-50 sec, and succeed for 80% with kick-ups!

[@NatalieReckert]

Hey that's awesome, I think there is quite a 50+ handstand movement going for sure!

[@larspettersson9720]

Thank you for a great video (and many great videos). I am 69 this year, started following your 30 days course in January. I am now at day 22 because I double (or triple) the days I don´t fully get it. Still doubting I will make it in the end, but know I will think of the ”putting the doubt in the shelf”-trick you mentioned. My mantra is your words: ”gently pushing the limits”.

[@NatalieReckert]

Hello and thank you for sharing your experience. Going at your own speed is the wisest thing you can do :) Let me know if you run into any obstacles. Best wishes

[@AlainLeon]

I came for the knowledge. I stayed for the encouragement dance.

[@NatalieReckert]

Haha Yay! I should start all videos like that!

[@lmack6596]

Well said!! I started in my late 30s, and it's one of the best decisions I've ever made. I feel the strongest I've ever felt, and it's so exciting each time I master something along the way. I'm progressing slower than other people I know, but I think that's because I'm inconsistent. I have friends 10 and 20 years older than me who are also setting out on their handstand journey. Handstands for all!! :)

[@NatalieReckert]

Hello and thank you for sharing your experience! It's really great to hear that handstand training was such a good decision for you, I hope it will keep enriching your life in the future.

[@seahorizon9222]

Nathalie, thank you, this is my journey

[@NatalieReckert]

Yay! Thank you.

[@VicBattlefield]

Herzlichen Dank für deine weisen und ehrlichen Wörte, Natalie! Ich bin auch nicht mehr der jüngste, au contraire. Aber aufgeben kommt bei mir nicht in Frage! Du hast mich sehr weit gebracht mit deinen Online-Kursen und wertvollen Tips. Dir habe ich viel zu verdanken!🙏Weiter so 😉

[@NatalieReckert]

Super, das freut mich :) Danke für die netten Worte.

[@shaunglendinning]

Thank you very much for your insight. Really appreciated.

[@Talhasarwar47]

You are so right. I started practicing handstand in my early 20s. It’s been 2 years I can now hold my handstand with perfect form for a minute. I never had any experience of doing handstand a little.

[@NatalieReckert]

That's really great to hear, keep up the good work and maybe the next goal is a handstand press :)

[@simonmilner3578]

Ive been trying for 8 years, I'm 57 with a shoulder impingement, won't give up til I'm 103.

[@NatalieReckert]

Yay! Please keep practicing and doing what gives you joy.

[@zig4yz4d]

The want to achieve something is key, along with being in fairly good shape. I changed my routine to hand balancing two years ago when I turned 60, and today at 62 I routinely kick up into a variety of handstands without wall support, along with many other routines (okay, they're not form-perfect, but that will come in time). And I'm in the best shape of my life. If you enjoy the journey rather than being impatient for the end result, that too will work well in your favour....

[@NatalieReckert]

That is very true. Happy to hear you have learned so many handstand shapes. The perfect form is only really important if you want to learn one arm handstands and even then there have been many different techniques throughout history. Best wishes for your training

[@vvbeatsofficial30]

perfect! =)

[@Asadc1995]

Of course the younger you are the easier it is to learn it. The body understanding of handstands is properly the hardest part of them all more than just balancing the handstand working on flexibility. Handstands are a fun never ending journey

[@NatalieReckert]

Yes I agree, they remain a challenge to maintain. The practice also keeps you somewhat humble throughout life. Thanks for watching.

[@iliasmavroidis7306]

Great empowerment Video. Thanks a lot. You have boosted my motivation to continue my journey. By the way, physiotherapy aka Krankengymnastik is for losers....😁. I tell myself i am a movement optimist 😃

[@NatalieReckert]

Haha, good that I motivated you. You know, I found over the years that if I take the Krankengymnastic and just make it ten times harder, then it actually helps me. So I have really benefitted from that knowledge but only after understanding that I have to change the exercises to suit an acrobats needs.

[@iliasmavroidis7306]

@@NatalieReckert gelbes THERABAND und 3x10 😂 Viele Grüße aus Aschaffenburg♥️

[@arunsarade375]

I am 64 . Practicing since 2 months. How much time it will take to learn handstand

[@NatalieReckert]

Great that you are practicing handstands. Stretch your shoulders a lot and practice consistently, then you have a good chance to get it in 6 months. Be patient. The most common why people don't learn a handstand is because they get frustrated and give up.

[@clray123]

I will soon find out whether it is possible to relearn handstands after my gym was sabotaged by corona's witnesses 3 years ago (now reopened without chicanery).

[@NatalieReckert]

I hope you can get back to your old practice!

[@humble_integrity]

im learning the handstand at 35 :)

[@NatalieReckert]

That's awesome :) Keep it going!

[@annacieplinska1463]

❤🧡💛💚💙💜🤎

[@צביקהרוסתמי]

אני בן 65 מתרגל יום יום כולל עמידת ידיים ואמות ללא קיר כמובן

[@NatalieReckert]

That's really great. I think inversions are great to practice at any age!