Wall Exercise Question

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Andrea67
Posts: 4
Joined: 23 Oct 2021, 19:54

Hi Natalie.

I’m really enjoying your Press to Handstand course! I’m
able to balance the straight line handstand and also the straddle. However, one thing from the first videos is bothering me and I’m hoping you can give some suggestions.
When doing the back to wall exercises, I have a terrible time putting my “butt” against the wall. Every time I do it I feel like my arms/shoulders will collapse. Even with my hands close to the wall I feel terribly off balance and like I will fall on my head. Is there something you could suggest?? I know this should be a simple exercise but for some reason for me it isn’t. The result is I do the opening and closing of the legs balanced away from the wall.
So while I don’t need the wall it’s bothering me that I can’t put my butt on the wall without feeling like I’m going to get hurt.
Many thanks as always
Andrea
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Natalie Reckert
Posts: 68
Joined: 17 Sep 2019, 21:14

Hello Andrea,

Thank you very much for posting your question and happy to hear that you are enjoying the course.

What happens when you are leaning against the wall?
Do your shoulders compress? Does your chest stick out?
Is there one clear line from the hands until the hips or is there a curve in the spine?

I am sending you here for reference a video from my online coaching that shows how to practice the tuck with the wall. this is for people who are just starting to learn a tuck but it might be useful. It is similar for the straddle:
Tuck with back against wall:

Let me know if I can help more,
Best,
Natalie
Andrea67
Posts: 4
Joined: 23 Oct 2021, 19:54

Thank you Natalie

I think the problem is that my shoulders are very tight and hard to open. I bring my head through my arms to try and open them as best I can and really push into the floor. From what I can see using video, my back is arching. If I can get my hips to the wall (which is a real struggle) my handstand feels incredibly heavy! I feel like I am terribly off balance (which I guess I am) and that my arms will collapse under the intense weight of my body. I am able to balance and hold the straight line handstand for 35-40 seconds with only half the effort of trying to hold my weight for a few seconds with my hips on the wall. Perhaps I am collapsing through my shoulders when I do this and so that is what is adding to this problem. Any work prior to this at the wall, only my feet have touched the wall. It now is very difficult to get my legs and hips to touch without feeling like I will fall on my head. I will keep working at it but any input you have would be welcome. It seems like something that should be so easy and yet for me it is near impossible.

Thanks
Andrea
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Natalie Reckert
Posts: 68
Joined: 17 Sep 2019, 21:14

Hello Andrea,

Ok I see.

Here are my suggestions:

Try to rotate your arms slightly out whenever you do anything that requires more shoulder opening. So out means, armpits facing out and shoulderblades pulling together.

Do you have a pull up bar or doorframe that you can hang from where you practice or at home? Hang from whatever is available for 30 seconds before you do the anything that challenges your shoulder opening and in the hanging position rotate the arms in the shoulder as described above.

Are you ableto do this handstand? Wall handstand for shoulder opening:

Stay close to the wall, the main thing is learning to direct the opening into the shoulders and not letting it spill into the back, where it leads to an arch. Arching makes it very hard to hold the handstand.

I hope this helps and let me know how it goes.

It can sometimes be a longer process to improve shoulder opening or switch on the right muscles that facilitate it, be patient and you will eventually get there.

Best,
Natalie
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