19/10/2020

Dear Reader!

If you are here, you may like to know how inversion therapy can make you have a strong and healthy heart and perfectly functioning cardiovascular system.

Let us first understand what our heart and cardiovascular system look like, and how they work.

Your heart works like a pump that sends blood throughout your body and keeps you alive. ^[1]

This is a muscle about the size of your fist, in the middle of your chest, behind your lungs and just slightly shifted to the left.^[1]

Our heart is at the center of our circulatory system. It constantly pumps blood throughout our body through a network of blood vessels also known as – circulatory system. In turn, the blood delivers oxygen and other important nutrients to all organs of our body. As a result, they work efficiently and stay healthy. ^[2]

Our heart consists of:

Pericardium – outer layer that surrounds and protect your heart; ^[1]
Myocardium – middle muscular lining that contracts and pumps the blood out of your heart; ^[1]
Endocardium – inner layer of the four chambers inside of your heart; ^[1]
Atria – the two small upper chambers; ^[1]
Ventricles – the two lower chambers; ^[1]
Septum – the muscle, dividing left and right side of your heart; ^[1]

Below I include a few more pictures of the heart for clarity:

^[3]

The circulatory system contains of:

Hearth
Blood
Blood vessels

Your heart pumps the blood from its left side, via aorta into the arteries. The blood itself going through the arteries and reaches every part of your body, supplying them with oxygen. Then the de-oxygenated blood returns back to right side of your heart, though the veins. ^[1]

Blood flow

^[5]

Blood circulation

^[6]

Here are some more detailed illustrations of our cardiovascular system:

^[7]

^[4]

^[8]

Additionally I’ve included You tube videos with scientific explanation of our heart and cardiovascular system:

From the first video we learn how the human heart works, by Veative Labs: https://youtu.be/fqRy9poXZzM ^[9]
In the second video we will understand how our Cardiovascular System operates, by CTE Sills.com: https://youtu.be/_lgd03h3te8 ^[10]

Conditions to have a Strong and Healthy Heart and Well-working Cardiovascular System

What not to do

High blood pressure – causes your blood vessels to wear; ^[11]
High cholesterol – high risk of heart disease;
Being overweight or obese – raising your blood pressure, cholesterol and may cause diabetes type 2;
Smoking – increases blood pressure and the risk of blood clots; ^[12]
Drinking too much alcohol – boosts your blood pressure and can also weaken your heart muscle, aka cardiomyopathy; ^[13]
Coffee, tea, juices – keep track of the amount of these liquids – your blood pressure is increasing and becomes uncontrollable;
Over-dosing the salt intake – which also raises your blood pressure;
Over-eating sweets – increases your heart rate and blocking your circulatory system’s channels;
Heavy and junk food – blocking your blood vessels;
Sitting for long hours at one place – lowering your living potential and leading to cardiovascular problems and heart attacks;

What to do

Control your blood pressure;
Have a regular check with your doctor;
Eat healthy – reducing your cholesterol, which makes your heart work easy and cleaning your circulatory system;
Keep your oral hygiene as a priority – cleaning the bacteria, which causes your heart diseases; ^[14]
Have enough sleep – essential for your healthy heart and avoiding heart attack; ^[15]
Dancing or/and take dancing classes – dancing makes for a great heart-healthy workouts for your circulatory system and for your heart; ^[14]
Listen to your favourite music – this raises your heart rate and makes your lungs pumping; thus, it makes your heart stronger and cleansing your cardiovascular system;
Laughing – lowering your stress hormones, inflammation in your arteries is decline and escalating your “good cholesterol”; ^[14]
Go for a walk for at least 30min a day – this opens your lung and strengthening your heart;
Take stairs instead of using elevator – good for your blood circulation and your heart muscle;
Fitness or/and exercise – with 30min a day at least 5 days a week your heart will be stronger;
Do Yoga or/and Aerial yoga – doing them, you will manage your stress; consequently, it improves your heart health, reducing the risk of diseases to your cardiovascular system and heart attack; ^[14]
Use inversion therapy – which strengthens your heart, improves blood circulation to all your limbs and organs; moreover, the walls of your circulatory system become healthier and more elastic;

How Inversion Therapy can help us having a strong and healthy Heart and better Cardiovascular System

Basically you are inverted when your heart is higher than your head.

In inversions, your body is in a state in which, taking advantage of gravity, the blood moves much more easily to your heart and head.^[16]

This gives feedback to your cardiovascular system, which is allowing it to calm down and rest by lowering your blood pressure, slowing your heart rate and constantly promoting good heart rate variability.^[16]

Furthermore, the calming effect occurs when you perform inversions with less effort and for longer period of time.^[16]

For inversion therapy you can use:

Yoga-based postures
Aerial yoga
Inverting bars
Gravity boots
Inversion chairs
Inversion tables

Since I use inversion table, I will show you some exercises on inversion table for you to have a strong and healthy hearts and enjoy a perfect circulatory system.

Before we begin, let me give you a short explanation about the breathing:

Even breathing is when the length of your inhalation is the same as the length of your exhalation.
Full breathing is:
- When you inhale, visualize the air starting to fill your body from your tail bone, through the abdomen, chest, collarbones to the top of your scalp;
- When you exhale, your air returns in the same way, in the opposite direction – from your scalp, through the collarbones, chest, stomach to your tail bone;

On the videos below I will explain and demonstrate to you how to practices on inversion table so to have a healthy heart and pure cardiovascular system:

Video1 – Warming up: ^{[https://youtu.be/DD96rVu3M5A]}

When you are inverted to the suitable for you degrees – 20, 40, 60 or fully inverted, stay here for 5 to 25 full breaths.

Results:
According to David Coulter, Ph.D., professor at the University of Minnesota who wrote in a 1992 Yoga International article on Headstands and the Circulatory System: “If you can remain in an inverted posture for just 3 to 5 minutes, the blood will not only drain quickly to the heart, but tissue fluids will flow more efficiently into the veins and lymph channels of the lower extremities and of the abdominal and pelvic organs, facilitating a healthier exchange of nutrients and wastes between cells and capillaries.” ^[17]

Video2 – Exercise1: ^[^{https://youtu.be/exBRwyWUxBA}^]

Once you are on your chosen slope, turn your body to the right and stay here for ten deep breaths. Go back to the center and then repeat the same to the left.

Results:

Your chest expands, which opens the blood-carrying channels and eases the work of your heart.

Video3 – Exercise2: ^[^{https://youtu.be/a0bwcCwFSMQ}^]

To perform this exercise, you must be at least at a 40° fixed incline (the bench should not move up and down). We grab the bench from the side; press it with our elbows and pull the hips forward, using the top of the head for support. Here you take 10 full breaths and then straighten your body and relax.

Results:

With this exercise we open our chest, thus reducing the pressure on our heart. This also facilitates blood flow.

Video4 – Breathing Exercises: ^{[https://youtu.be/hO-78PFuGlw]}

Here I will show you 3 different types of breathing, following accordingly each other:

1.Breathing – 1:2

Once you have taken the most comfortable stance for you of 20°, 40°, 60° or 90° reversed, breathe three times evenly. Then make sure that the full exhalations are twice as long as the full inhalations.

After you have done 10 repetitions, equalize your breathing and relax.

When you get used to it, you can increase the repetitions to as many as you’d like.

Results:

This breathing practice promotes relaxation and calming of your heart and nervous system.^[16]

2. This breathing technique is called Brahma Mudra ^[18][19]

When you are in reverse position of 20° or 40°, start the following:

Remaining your shoulders on the inversion table. Slowly, while inhaling and staring at the tip of your nose, start turning your head to the right as far as you can, without tension. Then, when exhaling, and keep on staring at the tip of your nose, return your head to the center.
Repeat this to the left.
After that, inhaling, take your head up, while still looking at the tip or your nose. Start exhaling and return back to the center.
Finally, inhaling, star moving you head down and at the same time moving your eyes up to the point between your eyebrows, and your chin reaches your collarbone. When star exhaling, slowly return you head to the center and your eyes – to the tip of your nose.

On each inhalation and exhalation, go very slowly.

This is one round.

For your benefit do 3-5 repetitions.

Results:

This breathing technique is usually done in sitting or standing position. However, when you are upside down this, not just relaxes your neck and jaw muscles, but it also opens your lungs and your heart. Additionally, opens your blocked circulatory channels.

3. Alternate nostril breathing

Here you are still in the same stance as you were on the previous breathing technique.

During this breathing, the nostrils alternate:

We begin with complete inhalation through the left nostril by occluding the right nostril with the thumb of the right hand.
Next, plug the left nostril with the ring finger and exhale through the right.
Inhale through the right nostril.
Relax the ring finger, plug the right nostril with the thumb and exhale through the left nostril.

This is one round.

Repeat 3 to 5 rounds.

Note: Here you can use even full breathing or 1:2 full breathing. With the 1:2 full breathing your entire body got more relaxed which is also beneficial for calming your heart and ease your circulatory system.

Results:

With alternate nostril breathing, your blood receives a greater supply of oxygen than with normal breathing. Moreover, it calms your heart and your nervous system.

Recent research shows a significant decrease in basal heart rate and systolic blood pressure was observed on people used alternate nostril breathing. ^[20]

The complete sequence of exercises you can find in my youtube channel on the following link: https://youtu.be/LJimbMQltHk

Note:

For those of you, who are still skeptical or have an inner fear of inversion therapy, don’t forget that you have baroreceptors. They are connected to your nerves that are controlling your heart rate and your blood pressure.^[21]

Yet, when inverted, you feel that your heart star working faster and your blood pressure raises.^[21]

At that moment, barorecptors, in turn, receive this information from your nervous system and automatically send signals to slow your heart rate, lower your blood pressure and relax your blood vessels.^[21]

Your determination

Part of the benefits of inversion, as calmness, presence and cheerfulness, you will experience immediately. Yet, there could be some imbalances for which recovering will take some time.^[22]

Do not allow your protective mind to put you in the group of people, who when trying something for short time and then give up, remaining convinced that this does not work.^[22]

Just remember that the inversion therapy has been working long before BC. Only with patience and commitment your will overcome your conditions. This might be quickly or for a longer time, but you will gain the best result from it.^[22]

Benefits:

Inversion therapy is soothing and restorative for your whole organism; it calms your breathing and your heart activity; it also lowers your blood pressure, and increases blood flow to your gut and to vital organs in your body.^[23]
When you are upside down, blood flow is encouraged from the legs and pelvis back to the heart. It is then pumped through the lungs, where it absorbs fresh oxygen.^[23]
In the inversion position you have the constant inclusion of heart rate in aerobic ranges, which reduces the risk of heart attack, and refining your cardiovascular system and its efficiency.^[23^]
Inversion therapy is medically proven of being an effective treatment for heart disease.^[22]
It is also a medically proven remedy for healing the heart flutters, if you have one.^[22]
Exercises, even more on an inversion bench, are key to lowering your blood pressure. This also cures hypertension, even if you are on medication. Moreover, you do not need to be an athlete.^[24]

Declaimer:

All information provided here is not intended to replace professional medical care. That’s why always follow the instructions of your healthcare professional in prior starting the inversion therapy.

Notes

If you are from the people that are having heart diseases, high blood pressure or any other cardiovascular conditions is not recommended to use inversion therapy, unless your doctor have approve that;
Those of you who are having historical or present brain conditions, please consult with the medical specialist and neurologist before start practicing this therapy;
People with glaucoma and other health issues is advisable to first check with you doctor or physical practitioner before starting inversions;
Obesity is not a restriction for trying inversion therapy but it might be uncomfortable for somebody. Here, as well, is good having a consultation with your health care professional beforehand.^[22]
For women in their pregnancy it is recommended to avoid inverting;
Don’t use inversion after having injuries;
This is strongly advisable for those of you who have recently had surgery to start with investment therapy, after your full postoperative recovery;

Final Thoughts

Your heart health should be on your priority list due to the simple fact that cardiovascular disease, for the past four decades, has been the number 1 cause of death for a year, worldwide.^[16]

Inversion therapy help your body recover from the overwhelming pressure of gravity, as well as the stress of daily activities.^[25]

Additionally, Inversion therapy works to give you advantages to your physical state, and being with a strong and healthy heart and efficiently functioning cardiovascular, lymphatic, endocrine and nervous systems.^[25]

As a consequence of which, inversions improve your abilities to see things more clearly, and, hence, easier for you to understand what you actually want for your life.

Therefore, maintaining your heart strong and healthy and having a well-functioning circulatory system will allow you to develop many of your hidden potentials – physical, material and spiritual.