Tuesday, October 16, 2012

What Are The Benefits Of Hanging Upside Down

Hanging upside down can be fun, but whether it's beneficial is not confirmed.


Hanging yourself upside down, often called inversion therapy, has been said to be able to assist people with a variety of health problems. However, there's no consensus on whether or not it provides serious health benefits. If you're looking to try it out for yourself, consult your family medical professional first.


Back Pain Relief


One of the big benefits of inversion therapy, according to Inversion International, is back pain relief. The Mayo Clinic notes that in theory, hanging upside down allegedly relieves stress on the spine by allowing the discs in the spine to recover lost moisture and return to their original shape and placement. This may lessen the pressure and tension on the nerve clusters in your spine and lead to the decrease in back pain. According to the Mayo Clinic, this method of back pain relief is temporary.


Exercising


Fitness expert Dr. Ed Thomas suggest hanging yourself upside down before attempting abdominal exercises like crunches. This is done using gravity boots which hook onto a bar, usually fitted in a doorway. This is beoieved to be an ideal way to work the midsection as it adds the element of gravity to your workout. While doing crunches on the ground also has you fighting gravity, you can rest on the ground when you need a break; not so much when you're hanging from the ceiling.


Posture


Dr. Thomas has also claimed that hanging upside down for a period of time can improve a person's posture. As the body hangs, the spine will want to shift to its natural "S" shape since you're elongating it. A regular inversion regimen may help to maintain that posture, which in turn also relieves certain types of aches and pains.

Tags: upside down, yourself upside down, back pain, hanging upside, hanging upside down, inversion therapy