By keeping their centre of gravity over the beam, a gymnast may balance himself. The gymnast increases their moment of inertia, or resistance to rotational motion, by spreading their arms out to the sides, making it harder to unintentionally tilt or spin. As a result, their body is more stable, aiding in balance maintenance. Moreover, the centre of mass can be slightly adjusted with the arm movements to make up for any minor deviations from the equilibrium position. The gymnast can also orient oneself in relation to the beam using the visual clues provided by the arms. Overall, while balancing on a beam, a gymnast can gain various advantages from extending their arms to the side, including increased stability and many more.