The Benefits Of Getting Inverted
You are probably wondering what in the heck could be beneficial from simply getting upside down? Well...the answer is...lot’s!
Where should we begin?!
How about back pain?
Getting inverted decompresses the spine. This helps to open up the discs and takes pressure off the nerves, reducing pain.
Being inverted also creates more space between the discs allowing for waste to be removed and hydration to occur.
Lymphatic drainage:
Getting inverted helps the lymphatic system to drain. The lymphatic system is basically the “sewer system” of the body. This system helps to carry the waste products from cells, and transport the blood back towards the heart to be cleaned by the liver, kidney, and lungs.
There is no pump to help this to happen, like the heart pumping the blood initially. By getting inverted you are letting gravity be the pump :)
Great hip opener:
We rely on our hips all day long with almost everything we do. Tight hips equal a tight everything. It is thought that we store a lot of emotion in our hips as well.
I can account to this as I have cried many a times in yoga during a sweet hip opener pose. As it may seem, when you are inverted your hips are naturally opened by gravity. I like to pedal my feet and twist my upper body when I am in my gravity boots, this is an Awesome hip opener.
Mental clarity:
In one theory I came across it was thought that while you are inverted, again with gravity you get more blood to your brain, giving mental clarity. This may or may not be.
The mental clarity for me comes from within. I nasal breath every inhale and exhale while being inverted. This calms my body and mind.
Once my body and mind are comfortable being inverted and I have calmed my body and mind with my breath, this is when the mental clarity happens for me. I concentrate on every inhale, and every exhale.
Increase circulation:
It is said that being inverted helps to move the blood to your upper body more easily. I guess this make sense, this is probably what my face gets so red when I’m in my gravity boots:) Cleaning the lymphatic system as we discussed above also helps to improve circulation.
Improves Posture:
A lot of people in the world today reside behind a screen seated at a desk for their job. Even more sit on the couch and watch tv when they arrive home from work.
If you live a sedentary lifestyle similar to this you are wreaking havoc on your body. Getting inverted could defiantly help to reverse the damage if done regularly.
Helping to realign your back and taking stress of the body from sitting all day and night by getting inverted could really help with your posture.
You may look into setting an alarm for every thirty minutes and get up and move around also...just a thought. I don’t watch tv or Netflix, so I can’t help you there...maybe read a book?...or I don’t know...exercise :)
Sciatic pain relief:
The sciatic nerve runs from the lower back, through the buttocks, and down each leg.
This nerve is what supplies your lower half with strength and feeling. Pressure equals pain to the sciatic nerve, so when you are inverted and the pressure is relieved from this nerve, well you can imagine...the pain could go away :)
Tools to help you get inverted:
Inversion table:
The inversion table is a great place to start getting inverted if you are new to it. This is because they are easy to use, and the angles are adjustable slightly inverted to fully inverted.
This way you can ease into the goodness of being inverted. You can buy a descent one on amazon for a couple hundred dollars. We have one we take with us when we travel, and one we leave at home. Here are the links for each.
OUR TRAVEL INVERSION TABLE LINK:
OUR HOME INVERSION TABLE LINK:
Gravity boots:
I LOVE my gravity boots! I am in them every morning! They are essentially hooks that strap to your ankles and hood on a horizontal bar overhead. You can use a rated pull-up bar, etc. These are defiantly not for beginners as you have to pull yourself up get hooked on. Gravity boots are great for all of the items listed above and super sweet for a core workout :)
I use and LOVE the teeter gravity boots, here is the amazon link for them.
Yoga:
Yoga is and will always be near to my heart. It has helped me through so many chapters in my life. The type of yoga poses to get you upside down are called inversion poses. A few of these poses are headstand, handstand, shoulder stand, forearm stand, and plow pose. Ease into all of these if you are new to yoga. Remember, as with anything new, take it slow.
Yoga sling:
A yoga sling (also referred to as “the silks” sometimes) is made from a silky parachute like material. It has a long maneuverable section in the middle and two handles on either side for more flexibility. Yoga slings are great, just again remember to ease into it :)
I once heard a quote that if you can get upside one minute for every year you have been alive, that you would live a happy, healthy full life free of disease and hardship.
I’m not sure who said it or when, but I can say since i have been using my gravity boots daily for over a year now my life has for sure changed for the better. I wont say it is all in the boots, but they are defiantly part of it.
I do at least ten minutes a day, everyday. But start slow with getting inverted. Try one minute, then two, and when you are comfortable and it feels good, go to three, etc. It doesn’t feel good to hurt yourself, and it is counter productive to a happy healthy lifestyle :)
You got this...See you on the flip side :)
Here’s to your health...
Cheers!
