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Exercise library / Supported Shoulderstand

Supported Shoulderstand

Suggestions, not prescriptions. Exercises here pass automated checks. They have not been clinically reviewed, and no exercise is right for everyone. Adjust to your comfort and ability.

A more challenging exercise. Make it a goal if you like. “Show alternatives” below lists easier steps toward it.

An inversion resting on the shoulders and upper arms with the hands supporting the back, the body stacked vertically over the shoulders.

Main focus
Strength
Level
Building
Equipment
Bodyweight, A mat
Load
Your body weight
Stability
Supported by a seat, bench or wall
Before you start
  • Warm up first with a minute or two of easy walking or marching in place, and cool down the same way after.
  • Wear flat, closed shoes with a good grip, or go barefoot on a non-slip floor if that feels steady to you.
  • Clear the floor around you. Keep a sturdy chair, counter or wall within reach for any move you do standing.
  • Build up slowly. Add repetitions or minutes over weeks, not days. If you take a break, work back up gradually.

Talk with a doctor or physical therapist before you start if you have not been active for some time, if you have a health condition or a worry about exercise, if you have fallen or fear falling, or if a clinician has told you to limit activity. This library is general information, not medical advice.

What you need

A mat or a firm, clear patch of floor, and a sturdy chair or bench nearby to help you get up.

How to do it

  1. Lie on your back, ideally with a folded blanket under the shoulders and the head off it.
  2. Lift the legs overhead and support the lower back with both hands, elbows shoulder-width apart.
  3. Walk the hands up the back and stack the hips over the shoulders until the body is vertical.
  4. Hold the position for the prescribed time, keeping the head and neck completely still.
  5. Lower the legs overhead and roll down slowly with the hands supporting the back.

How much

To start: 1 to 2 sets of 8 to 12 slow repetitions, resting 1 to 2 minutes between sets.

As it gets easier: 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 12 repetitions with good form, resting 1 to 3 minutes. Add load or repetitions gradually, no more than about once a week.

How it should feel: The muscles you are working should feel the effort. The last repetitions should be hard but controlled, never shaky or painful.

Make it easier

Use the other ways to do this movement below.

Make it harder

Use the other ways to do this movement below.

Tips

  • Keep the weight on the shoulders and upper arms, never on the neck.
  • Do not turn the head while inverted.
  • Build up with legs-up-the-wall and plow pose before holding this one for long.

Safety

  • Warm up first, and keep your breathing steady. Breathe out on the effort and in as you ease off. Do not hold your breath.
  • Move with control. Do not lock your joints straight at the end of a movement.
  • Choose a version, load and number of repetitions you can finish with good form. The last few should feel hard but not shaky.
  • Getting down to the floor and back up is part of this exercise. Use a sturdy chair or bench to help you, and move slowly.
More safety notes
  • If you cannot get up from the floor on your own, choose a standing or seated alternative, or have someone with you.
  • Pad bony spots, such as knees, with a mat or folded towel.
  • Move into any overhead position only as far as your shoulders move comfortably without arching your lower back.
  • Keep your ribs down and your core braced.
  • If you cannot raise your arms overhead without pain, use a lower version.

From the source

  • Keep the weight on the shoulders and upper arms, never on the neck.
  • Do not turn the head while inverted.

When to stop

  • Stop and rest if you feel dizzy or lightheaded, sick to your stomach, or unusually short of breath.
  • Stop if you feel sharp, sudden or joint pain. Muscles working hard is expected. Pain is a signal to stop.
  • Stop and sit down if you feel unsteady and cannot settle yourself right away.
  • Call your local emergency number for chest pain or pressure, fainting, or sudden weakness, numbness or trouble speaking.
  • After any of these, do not repeat the exercise until you have talked with a doctor or physical therapist.
  • You cannot get up from the floor without help.
  • You feel dizzy when you change position.
  • You feel pinching or sharp pain at the top of the shoulder.
  • Your arms tingle or go numb.

Other ways to do this movement

Sign in and we will show other ways to do this, with other equipment or at a different level, chosen from your own answers. Sign in

Where this comes from

Steps and tips are from an open exercise dataset named below. Starting amounts, equipment and safety notes are Fitafter50's general guidance. Nothing here is clinically reviewed.

Steps and tips: Exercise data by RepDB (repdb.co). License: RepDB Free Tier License v1.0: personal or commercial use inside applications, visible attribution, no redistribution as a dataset or API. All credits.

    This is general information, not medical advice. It does not diagnose anything or tell you whether an exercise is right for you. Adjust to your comfort and ability.