The Warning:

According to Wikipedia stairs is this: “Stairs are a construction designed to bridge a large vertical distance by dividing it into smaller vertical distances, called steps. Stairways may be straight, round, or may consist of two or more straight pieces connected at angles.” I tell you this as safety precaution, in case you didn’t know what a stair was. I assume that since you’re reading here, you will soon or later attempt to try to walk with your hands down stairs. Before attempting  this, be sure to read the safety labels on your stairwell and leave the stove off.

Walking down Stairs

A Handstand Article

The feeling you get when you attempt walking on hands is quite similar to the feeling you get when you attempt to handstand walk down stairs – your just more scared. Watching a person handstand walk down stairs looks impressive, much like long oil tankers really doesn’t.

An little explanation

To loose control is simple, to regain it is hard when it comes to handstands. Walking down stairs with your hands is very similar to normal handstand walking. In other words you will use the same technique. In the beginning you may discover that you prefer moving a specific arm first – hopefully the left or the right one – and this is not wrong. Just like your feet, you will prefer using a specific arm. Before attempting walking down stairs on your hands, I suggest that you find a stair with some width and very small vertical distance between the steps. It’s way better to have a long small leveled stair to practice on, than having a short steep stair which you’re going to hate.

The first attempt

The first attempt is scary, just like the second and the third attempt. Remember learning walk on your hands? Good, copy whatever technique you used there, close your eyes and start walking down the stair. That’s seriously the best advice I have; to close your eyes. This way you trick your brain into thinking in a more relaxed way since it doesn’t know what’s really happening. And when the brain discovers that your arms actually are walking down a stair it will get so surprised that you may loose your balance, just fight to keep it and remember that it’s only stairs. Nothing dangerous about that at all.

The second attempt

Is much like the first attempt, it may be more or less scary. Depending on if you fell or didn’t fall, and how big the damages may be from your fall or how much adrenaline you pump. Either case, go for a second attempt before your senses tell you how crazy this is.

Moving further

I assumed you started in a surrounding that felt safe for you, the progress now is to try new stairs, type of stairs and environments. Circular stairs, long stairs, short stairs, steep stairs, stairs in buildings, stone stairs or whatever stair you find yourself facing. The feeling from stair to stair will be different. Who would thought that the various highs on steps have such and impact on the feeling walking in them? Anyways this feeling will get stronger when you are walking with your hands down stairs. Good Luck!

Happy Handstands
Tor