Training & Technique

Balance Beam Exercises for Beginners: Walks, Balances, Jumps and Turns

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The best balance beam exercises for beginners are walks, balances on the toes and on one foot, small jumps and simple turns. Practice each one on a line on the floor first, then on a floor beam or low beam, and take it to a higher beam only when your coach says it is ready.

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These are the building blocks of real routines: most of USA Gymnastics’ Level 1 beam routine, the first level of its Development Program, is made of them. That routine also ends with a cartwheel to a handstand position, but upside-down skills like that are taught by a coach with mats, not practiced alone.

This guide lists the exercises in the order beginners usually learn them and how to progress each one. For the balance basics behind all of them, from posture and focus to foot placement, see how to balance on a balance beam.

Beginner Balance Beam Exercises at a Glance

ExerciseWhat it trainsStart onIn USA Gymnastics compulsory beam
Walks forward, backward and sidewaysFoot placement and postureFloor lineThe steps between skills in every routine
Relevé balanceBalancing on the balls of the feetFloor lineLevel 1, held for two seconds
Forward passé balanceBalancing on one footFloor lineLevels 1 and 2
Arabesque and scaleA one-foot balance with the other leg behindFloor lineArabesque in Levels 1–3, scale in Level 4
Leg swingsControl while one leg movesFloor line, then low beamLevels 1 and 2
Stretch jumpTaking off from and landing on the beamFloor lineLevels 1–4
Tuck and split jumpsBigger shapes in the airFloor lineSplit jump from Level 4
Half pivot turnTurning on both feetFloor lineLevels 2 and 3
Turns on one footTurning with the free foot at the kneeFloor line, then low beamHalf turn in Levels 3 and 4, full turn in Level 5

The levels come from USA Gymnastics’ 2021–2029 compulsory routines, the set routines that every gymnast in Levels 1–5 performs, and their order is a useful guide for any beginner: walks, balances, small jumps and two-foot turns first, bigger jump shapes and one-foot turns later. Our guide to USAG beam requirements for Levels 1–5 lists each level in full.

Where to Practice: Floor Line, Low Beam, Then Higher

Start every exercise on a line on the floor, such as a strip of tape. It shows the path of the beam with nothing to fall from. When an exercise is steady on the line, move it to a floor beam or low beam, and to a higher beam only with a coach and mats in place.

Competitive programs also start lower. In the age-group program of World Gymnastics (FIG), the sport’s international federation, the first competition classes, from age 7, use a beam 80 centimeters (about 31 inches) high. A later class uses 100 cm (about 39 inches), and only the higher classes compete on the full 125 cm (about 4 feet).

Move one exercise up at a time, and expect to move back down when something new is added. Our guides to starting on low beam and moving from low beam to high beam explain how coaches decide. Never raise a beam on chairs, blocks or other makeshift supports.

Walks

Walking is the first beam exercise and the one used most, because steps connect every skill in a routine. In USA Gymnastics’ compulsory routines, a step goes through the foot, toe then ball then heel, with the feet turned out slightly, and judges deduct when it doesn’t.

Practice each direction as a separate exercise: forward walks, relevé walks up on the balls of the feet, backward walks that reach back along the beam with the toe, and sideways walks with small steps. Our guide to walking on a balance beam covers foot placement, pace and what a wobble tells you.

Balances and Leg Swings

Relevé balance. Rise onto the balls of both feet, one foot closed just behind the other, and hold. USA Gymnastics’ Level 1 routine calls this a relevé “lock” stand and asks for two seconds. In World Gymnastics’ age-group testing program, the beam turn tests start with a 20-second hold in relevé on both feet.

Forward passé balance. Stand on one foot and bend the other knee forward until its pointed toes touch the supporting knee. Learn it with the supporting heel down, then in relevé; a later test in the same program is a 10-second relevé balance in this position.

Arabesque and scale. Stand on one leg and lift the other straight behind you. USA Gymnastics looks for the leg at least 30 degrees above the beam in Levels 1 and 2 and 45 degrees in Level 3, held for one second from Level 2. A scale, with the leg at least horizontal and the upper body tipping forward, comes in Level 4. Our arabesque guide covers the position and its common errors.

Leg swings. Stand tall and swing one straight leg forward, and later backward, while the supporting leg stays still. Level 1 has forward leg swings; Level 2 adds a backward swing to at least 45 degrees.

If a balance turns into a big wobble, step down and start again rather than fighting to stay on. For how balances and poses fit into a routine, see beam choreography explained.

Jumps and Landings

Start with a stretch jump, also called a straight jump: push off both feet, keep your body straight and tight in the air, and land on both feet with your knees bending. In USA Gymnastics routines, judges deduct if the feet don’t land at the same time or don’t land together. World Gymnastics’ first age-group routine lands the same jump in a lunge, one foot in front of the other, so practice the landing your routine uses.

Then add shapes. World Gymnastics’ testing program orders its beam jumps from the straight jump to the tuck jump, with the knees pulled up, and then the split jump, each from standing and landing on two feet. In USA Gymnastics, the split jump arrives in Level 4, straight after a stretch jump and with a 120-degree split as the target.

Jump on the floor line until the landings are quiet and on the line every time, then on a low beam. Jumps on a higher beam, and leaps such as the straight-leg leap of Level 3, are for practice with a coach.

Turns

Beam turns are done up on the balls of the feet. World Gymnastics’ testing program builds them in a clear order: a balance in relevé on both feet, a half turn on both feet, a relevé balance on one foot with the toe at the knee, a half turn on one foot, and then a full turn on one foot.

In USA Gymnastics routines, the first turn judged as a skill of its own is the half pivot turn in Level 2: from a relevé with the feet closed one behind the other, turn quickly on the balls of both feet to face the other way. Turns on one foot follow, with a half turn in passé in Levels 3 and 4 and a full turn in Level 5, and judges deduct when they aren’t done in high relevé.

Learn each turn on the floor line until you finish facing straight along it, then move it to the low beam. Where to look during a turn depends on the skill, so follow your coach’s cue.

Skills to Learn in the Gym

Upside-down skills show up early in beam routines. USA Gymnastics’ Level 1 routine ends with a cartwheel to three-quarter handstand dismount, Level 3 has a handstand on the beam and Level 4 a cartwheel along it. World Gymnastics’ first age-group routine includes a forward roll and a kick to a momentary handstand.

Gymnasts learn these on the floor first, then on a floor beam or low beam with mats and a coach who can spot them. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends trained coaches, supervision and spotting at all times, and beams and mats that are checked regularly. Our guide to doing a handstand on beam shows how the handstand moves from the floor to the beam.

Common Questions

What should a beginner practice first on the balance beam?

Walks on a floor line, then relevé and one-foot balances and a stretch jump. All of them are part of USA Gymnastics’ Level 1 routine, and each one moves to a low beam once it is steady on the line.

Can you practice beam exercises at home without a beam?

Yes, the floor-level ones. A line of tape works for walks, balances, small jumps and two-foot turns, and it is where these exercises start in the gym too. A line can’t teach the feel of a raised edge, so the same exercises still need time on a real beam. Leave handstands, cartwheels and dismounts for the gym.

What beam skills are in Level 1 gymnastics?

USA Gymnastics’ Level 1 beam routine, with a 35-second time limit, includes a jump to front support mount, a needle leg kick, a relevé “lock” stand, a forward passé balance, a stretch jump, a 30-degree arabesque, forward leg swings and a cartwheel to three-quarter handstand dismount. Our Level 1 skills guide covers all four events.

Final Takeaway

The best balance beam exercises for beginners are walks, relevé and one-foot balances, small two-foot jumps and turns on both feet. Practice them on a floor line before a low beam, and on a low beam before anything higher.

Add one exercise and one height at a time, in roughly the order routines use them: walks and balances, then jumps, then turns on one foot. Handstands, cartwheels and other upside-down skills belong in the gym with a coach and mats.

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