Hanging Upside Down is a little known practice primarily used to cure lower back pain. But it is a lot more than that. Yoga Swings and Inversion tables are preventive measures against compression of the vertebrae and help you stretch, tone and achieve the incredible feeling of near weightlessness. Explore the ins and outs of gravity inversion in this 9th episode of the EasyFitness series of articles on Physical Intelligence.

Back ache and neck pain

Most back aches  and stiff necks come from spasm around the vertebrae associated with compression and rotational fatigue and can be avoided by regularly hanging upside down.

Compression fatigue - Too much downward load on the body by activities such as aerobics, gardening, field sports, weight lifting, skiing, bicycling, jogging and, inevitably, by prolonged sitting on chairs.

Rotational fatigue - Comes from one-sided activities such as golf, tennis, ping pong (unless you use 2 rackets like me), bowling, and playing one-sided instruments like the violin, guitar, cello etc.

Both compression and rotational fatigue occur in activities such as working at cash-registers, driving a car and working at a computer. Help! The answer is simple: reverse the process, hang upside down!

What can hanging upside down do for you?

Is your back killing you again? Not enough hours in a day to get some decent sleep? Then ask yourself the question: "What is the one most difficult hurdle to overcome when trying to get fit and healthy?" A lack of Motivation? Willpower? Time? Confidence? None of those.The answer is more simple than you think. The one most difficult hurdle to overcome to get fit is ... GRAVITY!

The good news is that Gravity can be used to the body's advantage rather than its detriment. Gravity inversion was originally designed to cure bad backs and relieve spinal pressure. More importantly, when you are fluent with a Gravity Inversion Table or a Yoga Swing your body moves in many mysterious new ways, and you feel as agile as when you were a child again. Sounds impossible? Read more...

How does it work?

If your body was a pencil balancing on your finger, the point of pivot would be your pelvis. The principle of hanging upside down on a Gravity Inversion Table is as sensitive as an old fashioned scale. You gently rotate around your centre of gravity (the pelvis) and, with subtle movement of the arms you can control the depth of the inversion to any desired angle.

Why do we need  to hang upside down?

Most actions we engage in focus downwards, towards the front of the body, using mostly the hands and the eyes. We very rarely reach high up, or bend backwards (counter moves). Constant imbalanced movements require the body to compensate by unnecessarily using many antagonistic muscles just to keep us upright. When body movements focus predominantly forward and down, something needs to happen to redress the balance and prevent deepening the lumbar and cervical vertebral curves.

We don't have to 'shrink' with age. Rather like an accordion, older people appear to become shorter because the inter-vertebral disks get compressed and poor movement habits have gradually 'folded' them down. One way of preventing this from happening is to spend a little time upside down on a gravity inversion table. "Why not do a head-stand?" I hear you think. A head-stand too is great for circulation and balance but unfortunately puts a lot of pressure on the neck.

Some years ago, before I had ever heard of hanging upside down or Gravity Inversion Tables, I would often end a children's dance class with some frolicking acrobatics. The thing children most adored was for me to lift them up by their ankles. They loved it so much they would shout: "Again, again!" and never want me to stop. That was great fun but it was also extremely exhausting for me, the teacher. And I often wished some giant could pick me up by my ankles and return the favour. So one day after work I sat down and drew a sketch of a design for a contraption that I was determined to make. And then lo and behold, a few days later, I was exploring the "Innovations" shop in Bayswater Road and YES! There it was, the Gravity Inversion Table. Luck comes in mysterious ways I thought, and immediately ordered one. I have never looked back since.

For Beginners

Before seriously thinking about getting your very own Gravity Inversion Table, try relaxing back off a giant bolster or off the side of your bed. Treat your spine to the opposite of what it does normally in every day life. It feels great and improves circulation.

As a long term fan of hanging upside down I now understand why the children always wanted me to pick them up by their ankles again and again. Children instinctively know a good thing.

Caution

Some of you believe that it's bad for you to get a red face with blood flowing into your head. On the contrary; more blood supply and oxygen to the brain is, up to a point, a good thing. Go slowly and not all the way down at first. If you get a head rush, slowly come back up until you can control the degree of inversion that you are comfortable with.

How long how often?

Five or ten minutes, 3 times a week, or when ever you feel tired or depressed.

On the Gravity Inversion Table you can relax and decompress inter vertebral discs. Or you may wish to hang completely upside down for a new perspective. Gravity Inversion Tables come in many different price ranges. I use a simple one which cost me 200 euros. If you are very tall or heavy you might need something stronger.

No Pain Just Gain

I often wonder why Gravity Inverters are rarely seen in gyms. I think it is because newcomers need to be instructed or risk breaking their necks. Many commercial gyms are not prepared to take the risk. If you are contemplating getting one, find a friend or instructor who knows what they are doing. It only takes about ten minutes to learn how to use it properly but you do need someone to show you the ropes. There are some videos on YouTube but they all miss subtlety. Besides, nothing beats personal tuition.

Advanced

A Yoga Swing is even more versatile than a Gravity Inversion Table as you can see in this video. Provided you have a good soft mat under you, just in case, start slowly and have fun experimenting to your own ability. You'll soon discover how much your body enjoys the element of surprise when you achieve great new moves that you never thought you could do. It's very much like moving when we were children but with more awareness, in a more "adult worthy" controlled fashion.

When you are familiar with hanging upside down either with a Gravity Inversion Table or a Yoga Swing you can do many exercises to further loosen and strengthen your body. And because it is so pleasant and unusual to 'invert', when you come off hanging upside down, you feel very tall, supple, as light as a feather, and you are in a very good mood indeed!

PS: I do not weigh my clients when they first join a fitness course. I measure them instead. Those who hang regularly grow a few centimeters within a few weeks. Of course they don't really grow. Inverted traction takes the body to its optimum height which cannot be measured when standing all crumpled up from gravity.

This is the 9th hub in the EasyFitness series where you can find all the episodes I have written so far on fitness, weight loss and Physical Intelligence.

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