Flip the Workout Script

Handstands—yes, handstands!—are a next-level fitness goal for all ages. Discover how to build strength and confidence with this step-by-step plan.

- Caitlin Carlson

Several years ago, at age 60, Mona Weiger decided to give her son Kyle’s online fitness program a go.

His video tutorials focused on mastering handstands—a move Mona “never dreamed I'd be able to do,” she says. But she joined to support her son.

Just two months later, the formerly sedentary court reporter was able to kick up and hold without wall support. “Eventually, I could hold for five seconds, which actually felt like five minutes,” she says.

Today? Mona can remain in a handstand for 30 seconds at a time—and she’s not done yet. “The thing about doing handstands is that you're always reaching for the next goal,” she says, adding that she’s now focused on improving her alignment. Beyond the physical perks, she’s gained self-assurance. Holding back tears, she says, “The more consistently I practice, the more confidence I gain.”

The upside-down feat became popular in CrossFit workouts, which took them out of the purely “meditative context” of yoga and gave them more of a (deserved) strength halo, says Kyle Weiger, a yoga instructor and creator of the Handstand Coach Kyle Weiger app. Also thrilled by the interest is Gabrielle Lyon, DO, a fellowship-trained physician and Women’s Health advisor, who incorporates the move into her own workouts regularly.

“We tend to take fitness so seriously,” Dr. Lyon says, “but play is a powerful training tool. Handstands remind us that training can be joyful, creative, and skill-based.” She adds that the exercise is a unique and downright fun challenge because it mixes strength, balance, and control. “It’s gymnastics for grown-ups.”