4 Extremely Beneficial Inversion Therapy Exercises
1) Inverted Forward Angle
1. Mount your inversion table, lie back, invert and make sure your legs are fully extended along the table’s surface, straight and facing up. Shifty only slightly, the fleshy portion of your buttocks away from your sitting bones, and do ensure you actually feel the connection to the surface of the table.
2. Open your legs and widen them out to your sides just until you feel a stretch in your inner thighs.
3. Put your hands and elbows on the table’s arm support and drop your upper body forward, releasing any tightness in the shoulders.
4. Exhale and hinge at your hips as you fall forward. Keep your spine long and continue to extend through your fingers, all the way down.
5. When you can no longer hinge, round down and release your arms, letting them rest on some part of your legs. Some folks will easily be able to actually grasp onto their feet, while other folks may be able to reach just their knees or shins. That is alright. You need to realize that wherever you are is exactly where you ought to be.
6. Breathe and let go of tension as you surrender to the breath and to gravity. Hold for three to ten breaths, and then slowly rotate your inversion therapy table back up.
The above exercise will truly begin to reverse any stooping or slumping you do throughout the day. But, more than that, the Inverted Forward Angle Exercise is known to open the heart, often stimulating a sense of openness for inversion therapy patients who practice them.
When doing the Inverted Forward Angle exercise, focus on releasing your front body (shoulders, chest and torso) and allowing it to relax into the muscles of your back (which are doing the strengthening work). Many people begin to feel a sense of ease and relaxation in this exercise alone, which in turn relaxes their backs!
The Inverted Forward Angle possess such an amazing capacity to provide soothing relief to a person’s central nervous system, in addition to opening up not just one specific part, but the whole back side of the body. It’s such a tremendous tension-reliever, and it possesses the ability to enhance one’s digestion and elimination, because the exercise actually massages the internal organs and cleanse the liver as well as the intestines. If you plan on doing only one inversion therapy exercise each day, make it the Inverted Forward Angle—it’s that healthy!
2. Open your legs and widen them out to your sides just until you feel a stretch in your inner thighs.
3. Put your hands and elbows on the table’s arm support and drop your upper body forward, releasing any tightness in the shoulders.
4. Exhale and hinge at your hips as you fall forward. Keep your spine long and continue to extend through your fingers, all the way down.
5. When you can no longer hinge, round down and release your arms, letting them rest on some part of your legs. Some folks will easily be able to actually grasp onto their feet, while other folks may be able to reach just their knees or shins. That is alright. You need to realize that wherever you are is exactly where you ought to be.
6. Breathe and let go of tension as you surrender to the breath and to gravity. Hold for three to ten breaths, and then slowly rotate your inversion therapy table back up.
The above exercise will truly begin to reverse any stooping or slumping you do throughout the day. But, more than that, the Inverted Forward Angle Exercise is known to open the heart, often stimulating a sense of openness for inversion therapy patients who practice them.
When doing the Inverted Forward Angle exercise, focus on releasing your front body (shoulders, chest and torso) and allowing it to relax into the muscles of your back (which are doing the strengthening work). Many people begin to feel a sense of ease and relaxation in this exercise alone, which in turn relaxes their backs!
The Inverted Forward Angle possess such an amazing capacity to provide soothing relief to a person’s central nervous system, in addition to opening up not just one specific part, but the whole back side of the body. It’s such a tremendous tension-reliever, and it possesses the ability to enhance one’s digestion and elimination, because the exercise actually massages the internal organs and cleanse the liver as well as the intestines. If you plan on doing only one inversion therapy exercise each day, make it the Inverted Forward Angle—it’s that healthy!
2) Down Scarecrow
In a vigorous inversion table exercise program, Down Scarecrow plays an essential role as a transitional stage between exercises. On its own, it will stretch the palms, chest, back, hamstrings, calves, and feet; strengthen the arms, legs, and torso; and energize the entire body. It can also improve focus and willpower, stimulate the mind, reduce stress and of course, relieve low back pain.
1. From the Inverted Forward Angle, push your chest up to the ceiling. Bend your knees back slightly and also push them up a bit to the ceiling. Place your hands directly under your shoulders and spread your fingers wide, with your middle finger pointing forward.
2. Press down into the roots of your fingers and think about drawing the shoulder blades together, then sliding them down your back.
3. On an inhalation, lift your hips and lengthen through your spine as you roll your shoulders open.
4. Keep a slight bend in your knees and scoop your tailbone even further up, then exhale and straighten your legs, sending your heels facing the floor.
5. Continue to deepen into the exercise with every breath, making adjustments and letting your body begin to blossom open.
6. Hold for three to ten breaths, then drop back onto your knees and back to standard inversion table stretch, or rotate the table to upright position if you need a rest.
1. From the Inverted Forward Angle, push your chest up to the ceiling. Bend your knees back slightly and also push them up a bit to the ceiling. Place your hands directly under your shoulders and spread your fingers wide, with your middle finger pointing forward.
2. Press down into the roots of your fingers and think about drawing the shoulder blades together, then sliding them down your back.
3. On an inhalation, lift your hips and lengthen through your spine as you roll your shoulders open.
4. Keep a slight bend in your knees and scoop your tailbone even further up, then exhale and straighten your legs, sending your heels facing the floor.
5. Continue to deepen into the exercise with every breath, making adjustments and letting your body begin to blossom open.
6. Hold for three to ten breaths, then drop back onto your knees and back to standard inversion table stretch, or rotate the table to upright position if you need a rest.
3) Elongating Forward Fold
Strengthen the feet, knees and thighs; stretch the hamstrings and calves; improve digestion; open up the hips and groin; and soothe the nervous system while you flush the brain with fresh blood and oxygen. You get all of these wonderful healthy benefits by simply elongating while turning yourself upside-down!
1. From Down Scarecrow exercise, bend both knees and shift your feet forward, keeping a bend in your knees to protect the low back.
2. Bring your awareness into the hinges of your hips, and think about elongating your torso and draping it over your legs. Release the crown of your head facing toward the ceiling.
3. Bend your knees deeply and rest your belly on your thighs. This will free the spine and allow you to release the weight of the upper body. Feel yourself surrendering completely.
4. Breathe deeply, letting go of tension with every exhalation. Shake your head yes and then no to release tension in the cervical spine.
5. Try to stay in forward fold for five to ten breaths, continuing to breathe deeply and release.
1. From Down Scarecrow exercise, bend both knees and shift your feet forward, keeping a bend in your knees to protect the low back.
2. Bring your awareness into the hinges of your hips, and think about elongating your torso and draping it over your legs. Release the crown of your head facing toward the ceiling.
3. Bend your knees deeply and rest your belly on your thighs. This will free the spine and allow you to release the weight of the upper body. Feel yourself surrendering completely.
4. Breathe deeply, letting go of tension with every exhalation. Shake your head yes and then no to release tension in the cervical spine.
5. Try to stay in forward fold for five to ten breaths, continuing to breathe deeply and release.
4) Inverted Chest Expansion
The objective of this inversion therapy exercise is to open up the chest and stretch the muscles of the shoulders and arms.
1. Sweep your arms behind your back and interlace your fingers. Extend your tailbone up to the ceiling, and let your arms fall overhead, surrendering to gravity and your breath.
2. Exhale and like in the first step, you should extend your tailbone up to the ceiling, allow your arms to fall overhead and do not resist gravity.
3. Hold for three to five breaths, and then pull your navel in and extend out through the crown of your head. Keep a flat back on the inversion table and let your arms pull you back up.
1. Sweep your arms behind your back and interlace your fingers. Extend your tailbone up to the ceiling, and let your arms fall overhead, surrendering to gravity and your breath.
2. Exhale and like in the first step, you should extend your tailbone up to the ceiling, allow your arms to fall overhead and do not resist gravity.
3. Hold for three to five breaths, and then pull your navel in and extend out through the crown of your head. Keep a flat back on the inversion table and let your arms pull you back up.