When you scroll through Instagram’s infinite number of impressive handstand vids, what you don’t see is all the strengthening work and practice that leads up to actually going upside down. But this week, Cortney Ostrosky, yoga teacher and self-discovery coach posted a slideshow of strengthening exercises to help you *finally* gain the strength you need to nail the inversion—including a killer variation on chair pose.
“The last video is holding chair pose, breathing, and practicing opening up your hands and fingers fully then closing them into a tight fist for 60 seconds. Go fast and strong here!,” she writes in a comment on the post. “It seems simple but is highly effective—your hands and arms will be on fire by the end of this!” And since you’re in chair pose—which is basically just a yoga-fied squat—your legs an core will be burning, too.
The yogini adds that unlike poses like chaturanga or downward dog, this move won’t place any strain on your wrists. “Firing up your hands in this way is beneficial because it’s a no-impact way to strengthen the large and small muscles in the forearms and hands. It creates strength and stamina without compressing the wrists,” she tells me.
Once your minute is up, Ostrosky recommends shaking out those hands to release your muscles. Just think: Pretty soon, you’ll be doing the whole move…upside down!
To work your entire core the yogi-way, try these 5 moves. And if you’re sick of cat cows, switch your practice up with these variations.
Sign Up for Our Daily Newsletter
Get all the latest in wellness, trends, food, fitness, beauty, and more delivered right to your inbox.
Got it, you've been added to our email list.
