This article was co-authored by Rosalind Lutsky, a trusted member of wikiHow's community. Rosalind Lutsky worked as a gymnastics coach at SB Gymnastics at Stanford University, coaching children from ages 5-12 years old during her time as a Stanford student. She was a competitive gymnast growing up, and competed for her local gymnastics team in Minnesota. This article has been viewed 2,576,149 times.

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A backflip is an advanced and potentially dangerous move, so make sure you have an experienced spotter that can guide your body through the motions the first time around. Additionally, make sure you have a soft mat to stand on to protect your head if you fall. Then, when your spotter is ready, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and raise your arms above your head. Bend your knees into a squat, bring your arms down, then sharply swing your arms back over your head. As you're swinging your arms, jump up as high as you can. Once you're off the ground, engage your core to tuck your legs in towards your chest, and use that momentum to rotate backwards. Finally, untuck your legs and land on the ground with your knees bent and your chest raised. For tips on sticking your landing, read on!