A Step by Step Guide on How to Do a Cartwheel

A cartwheel is a gymnastics move that is both fun and the perfect skill to learn for beginners. It works by rotating your body in a circular motion. Your hands lead the way, and your legs follow!

Have you ever seen someone do a cartwheel before and thought it looked fun? Are you trying to teach your child to do a cartwheel? If so, this is the guide for you.

Keep reading to learn how to do a cartwheel for kids!

Warm Up

Warming up is one of the most important gymnastics tips there are. Warming up can help prevent you or your child from pulling a muscle or getting hurt. A good warm-up should include stretching and light physical activity. 

Be sure to stretch your torso, arms, hands, and legs because these will be the muscles used the most while doing a cartwheel. Stretching is one of the most important cartwheeling tips. 

Start With a Lunge

Once you are all done warming up, it is time to learn to do a cartwheel!

To do a cartwheel, start in a lunge position. Place your dominant foot in the front and your other foot in the back. You will want to keep your back leg straight and slightly bend your front knee. 

Once you are lunging, you will need to raise your arms straight up above your head. They should be positioned beside your ears. Your body should be pointed in the same direction as your front foot.

Lean Forward

After getting into the starting position, it will be time to give the cartwheel a shot! With your hands straight up in the air, lean forward and reach your hands towards the ground.

You will place your hands on the ground perpendicular to your body. Your fingers should be pointing towards the outside of your dominant foot. 

Use Your Legs

After you lean forward and your hands reach the ground, you will then need to kick your back leg so that it goes above your body. You will then kick off the ground with your front leg.

Keep your legs spread apart in a V-shape and adjust the weight on your hands as your legs go over your body.

When kicking your legs over to do a cartwheel, it is important to imagine a straight line on the ground. The goal should be to stay on that line at all times. This can be one of the hardest parts of learning to do a cartwheel.

Land the Cartwheel 

After you have kicked your legs over, all you have to do is land the cartwheel. You will land facing the opposite direction of where you started. You will be in the same lunge position that you started in, with your hands above your head.

Now You Know How to Do a Cartwheel 

Learning how to do a cartwheel is a fun, new skill that anyone can learn. If you don't do a perfect cartwheel on the first try, don't worry! It takes practice to do the perfect cartwheel. 

Do you or your child want to learn to do a cartwheel? If so, check out our Cartwhirler Mat to help you learn how to do the perfect cartwheel today!