Every so often we have to ask the age old question of “why bother learning a handstand?”

Below are a couple of potential answers.

➡️develop body control and awareness

➡️learn a new skill

➡️training to be competitive gymnast or circus artist

➡️crossFit games includes some handstand-based movements

➡️calisthenics competitions

➡️cross training for your main sport/discipline

➡️The walls are too clean, we must dirty them

➡️just for fun

➡️validation from strangers on the Internet. handstand photos get lots of likes, plus give you street CRED from other fitness/movement accounts

➡️balance on one arm so you can be part of that elite 1%

➡️The cool kids are doing it

➡️Look younger by forcing more bloodflow to your face

➡️to be able to show off during your five minutes of inversion in yoga class

➡️reach a seemingly mediocre enough skill level so that you can launch the next hip “30 days to learn a handstand” course

➡️use it to forge your identity as “the weird dude who does handstands”

➡️to bask in the glory of strangers coming up to you and asking if you’re a gymnast

➡️become a more desirable partner for future mates

which of these is the correct answer? Any and all of them, as long as you’re honest with yourself.