Begin building upper body and core strength by incorporating the standard push up into your daily exercise. A proper push up should be performed with palms flat on the ground and hands directly under the shoulders, with fingers turned slightly outward. Keeping your core engaged and your body in a straight line, lower yourself until your chest touches the floor and then press your weight back up.  Push ups provide the foundation of upper body pushing strength and should not be neglected. Always perform push ups in a full range of motion and don’t cheat. When lowering and pressing up, make sure your elbows are bending at a 45 degree angle behind you, not straight out to the sides. At the bottom position, your body should roughly form the shape of an arrow, rather than a T.  Once regular push ups become easy, increase the difficulty by elevating your feet, adding weight in the form of a vest or weight plate positioned on the lower back, or doing clapping push ups. In the handstand position, your entire bodyweight is being supported by the upper chest and shoulders. For this reason, it’s a good idea to hit the different muscles in the shoulders directly during your training. Overhead presses, dumbbell shoulder presses and lateral raises all target the deltoid muscles in the shoulder and will help you build the strength required to lift your body in an inverted position.  Because the handstand push up is a movement that requires explosive strength, try to keep the intensity of weight training exercises high and the repetitions in the 5-8 range. This will condition the muscles to push hard against heavy weight, thus helping you gain strength.  If you don’t have access to weights or gym equipment, you can target the shoulder muscles by changing your push up technique. Hindu push ups and shoulder push ups both shift the emphasis of the movement to the deltoids and trapezius and more closely simulate a handstand pressing position. Though the chest and shoulders are the main movers in a handstand push up, the core muscles play a major role in stabilizing the handstand, keeping you upright. Strengthen your core along with your upper body by adding sit ups, V-ups, and leg raises to your regimen. You’ll find this will make holding a handstand a lot easier once the time comes. Pull-ups and hanging leg raises are also effective for strengthening the muscles of the core because they require constant tension in the midsection, similar to their function in a handstand. To keep your balance while in a handstand, you have to make constant adjustments to the force applied by the forearms. Therefore, giving the forearms a little attention while exercising can pay off substantially. Try farmer’s walks or dead hangs in order to improve forearm strength—go for time on these exercises since muscular endurance translates to how long you’ll be able to balance a handstand.  To perform a dead hang, find a pull-up bar or ledge and simply hang from it, supporting your entire body weight by your fingers and forearms.  Farmer’s walks are one of the easiest exercises to do and also one of the most beneficial. Just find two heavy objects with handles or a place to grip (kettle bells, water jugs and cement bags make great weights for farmers walks) and start walking. That’s it! If you’re crafty, you can also try making a forearm roller to build grip strength.

Summary: Start doing push ups. Train the shoulders directly. Develop your core strength. Perform forearm exercises.


Try to find a local sexual assault crisis center and contact them first. They can help your friend to navigate the reporting process and provide other resources to help them, such as medical resources. Check your local phone book or run an internet search to find a crisis center in your area. At your friend’s request, call the non-emergency number for your local police station. Tell them that your friend would like to report sexual assault. The next step will be for an officer to take a written record of your friend’s statement. Your friend has the right to choose the location--it could be their home, the hospital, or anywhere that they feel comfortable.  You can help your friend by being there to support them. You can offer encouraging statements and remind them that they are not alone. Remember that many victims feel uncomfortable contacting the authorities. That’s okay. Don’t pressure them. You may even want to look up the laws for reporting sexual assault in your state or country because in some places you can still report a crime years later. Letting your friend know that they can still report it later if they choose to may help to reassure them. If your friend mentions medical care, you can remind them that they have several options. They can seek treatment at a hospital or private doctor’s office. If your friend is a student, they could visit the campus health clinic. This will probably feel really scary and intimidating for your friend. Keep offering them comfort and supportive statements, but encourage them to seek treatment as soon as possible to get checked for STDs and receive emergency contraception if needed.  It might reassure your friend to have you there while the exam is conducted. Just remember to let them make their own decisions. Keep in mind that DNA evidence from a sexual assault is only good if it is collected within 72 hours of the assault. Find a hospital with a forensic nurse (also known as a SANE nurse) who can collect this evidence, which can be used in court if needed. However, make sure your friend knows that whether or not to use the evidence is up to them. Your friend might feel alone and frightened. Letting them know that there are lots of resources available might make them feel better. You can give them a list of organizations that they can contact.  RAINN is the largest anti-sexual assault network in the U.S. Your friend can call the helpline 24/7 at 1-800-656-HOPE or live chat through the website.  Most states in the U.S. have statewide hotlines. For example, in Iowa, you could contact the Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline at 1-800-284-7821. After an assault, your friend will likely be experiencing a wide range of emotions. They might be in shock, scared, angry, or ashamed. A mental health specialist can help them process and manage these emotions. You can gently suggest going to see someone.  Try saying, “It might help to talk to a professional. Would you like me to contact the student health center and see what counseling services they provide?” If they say yes, you can find some options to give them. If they say no, leave it at that. Many communities also have rape crisis centers that offer free counseling to survivors. Check to see if there is one in your community. If not, try to help your friend find a therapist who is experienced with sexual assault survivors. If your friend feels isolated, it might be helpful for them to connect with other survivors. Ask them if they would like to visit a support group. If they say yes, you can help them find one at a community center or on campus. Showing your friend that there are resources available to them can be a great way to comfort and support them.

Summary: Locate a sexual assault crisis center in your area. Contact the police if your friend wants you to. Help your friend seek medical care if they want to. Give your friend important websites and phone numbers. Offer to help them seek counseling. Go to a community or campus support center.


Look for bright, green leaves without brown spots. You can purchase your basil or pick it from your garden. Remove the leaves from the stems, discarding the stems. This method tends to bring out a stronger flavor in the oil, as the basil is cooked in the oil rather than in the water. In a blender or food processor, pour in 1 cup of oil, and add the bunch of basil leaves. Blend the mixture until you have made it smooth. Place a small skillet on the stove, and turn it to medium to medium-high heat. Pour the basil oil into the skillet, and let it heat for about 3 minutes. Take the pan off the heat. Do not let the oil boil. It should stay at a light simmer, so turn down the heat if the oil is getting too hot. Place a fine mesh strainer over an airtight container with its lid off. Pour the oil through the strainer. Don't push on the pulp, as it can make it fall through the strainer. Gently shake or tap the strainer to help the oil through. Place the oil in the refrigerator. It should be good for about a week.
Summary: Choose a fresh bunch of basil. Add the basil and oil to a blender. Heat a small skillet. Add the basil oil. Strain the oil. Keep the oil in the refrigerator.