Dear All,

How can we be a back pain free and having a toning body?

There are several different ways to reach that condition.

However with inversion therapy it is much easier, because here the gravity is doing the most of the job for you.

Additionally, this is an energy saving and you don’t need to put a lot of effort the gain the results you are aiming to.

I will bring you through a set of exercises on inversion table, which I developed within my 5+ years of practice.

So, let’s get started:

Warm Up

We will start with Swinging down and up:

• While we are up our hands are next to our body.
• At the moment we start swinging down, our hands gradually open, forming circle trajectory until they got above our head and we are completely inverted.
• The breathe pattern is as follows: when the head is down (we are upside down) – Inhale; when the head is up (we are up) – Exhale.
• Start with 10 repetitions and gradually increase them to the number you feel comfortable.

Results:

• Preparing for the practice.
• Relaxing our muscles and joints.
• Increasing the circulation of blood throughout our body and refreshing our internal organs.

Exercise 1: Twisting with hands on the floor

• Place both palms on the floor, facing backwards
• Slowly twist to the right, with the hips fixed to the bench
• Gaze at this direction and take 5 full breaths
• Return to center, and
• Switch sides
• Repeat the same pattern
• When finish return to the center

Results:

• Here you will feel side extension and ribcage opening and spinal rotation. 

Exercise 2: Twisting with crossed body hand

• Place one hand straight, crossing your chest and perpendicular to your body; with other hand supports the straight hand;
• After 5-10 full breaths, switch hand and stay on the other side for 10 full breaths;

Results:

• Open shoulders, shoulder blades and side muscles of your rib cage.

Exercise 3: Twisting with gripping to the frame

• While inverted in the most comfortable level of 20, 40, 60 degrees or fully upside down, we stat to twist to the right and then to the left, several times.
• When turning to the side inhale.
• Back to the center – exhale.
• We will do 5 to 10 rounds.

Results:

• Remove the blockages in your muscles, joints and hips.

Exercise 4: Stretching

On the fixed angle of the inversion table, 40 or 60 degrees, extend your arms:

• From here with right hand grab the wrist of the opposite, left hand and start pulling it; while doing that take 5 slow full breaths, and feel how the gravity extending all the muscles and joint of your left hand.
• Change the hands and repeat it;

Results:

• Stretching and extending your muscles and removing the stiffness in your joints

Exercise 5 = Grabbing your elbows above your head

• Grab your elbows above your head
• Stay here for 5-10 full breaths
• Switch hands and continue for another 5-10 full breaths

Results:

• You will feel stretch and opening on both sides of your torso, spine, shoulder blades, shoulders and your neck

Exercise 6: Pushing one hand behind the head

• Raise your right hand over your head, bend it from the elbow and walk your fingers on the back of the table, imagining that this is your spine. With your left hand help the right one to go as far as it could. Stay at this position for 5 to10 full breaths.
• Switch hands and repeat the same with you left hand bend and right hand supporting it for 5 to 10 full breaths.

Results:

• Opening your shoulders, shoulder blades, side torso muscles and chest muscles.
• Opening your chest.
• Increasing the space for your lungs and your heart.
• It also stretches your abdominal, spinal and back muscles

Exercise 7: Fingers crossed behind the nape.

Yet you are still at this slope, interlock your hands behind your neck.

• With inhaling turn to the right, while trying to keep your whole body in one plane;
• Exhaling return to the center;
• Then inhaling, turn to the left, keeping your whole body in one plane;
• Return to the center with exhalation
• This is 1 round
• We will do 3 to 5 rounds

Results:

• Extending and relaxing your side muscle groups, muscles around your neck, shoulders and spine;
• Releasing the tension in your hip joints;

Exercise 8: Seated Forward Bend – Straight

Release your arms straight above your head

• With inhaling fold forward towards your feet, with an erected spine and grab your legs.
• Stay here for 5 to 10 full breaths.
• Then return.

Exercise 9: Seated Froward Bend – Diagonally

From where you are, again release your arms straight above your head

• With inhaling and erected spine fold forward towards the side of your right foot and grab the table with both your hands.
• Stay here for 5 to 10 breaths.
• Return and
• Repeat the same to the left.

Results from 8^th and 9^th exercises:

• Thanks to the gravity, it pulls the pelvis down and opens the pelvic floor.
• Your hip joints open.
• Blockages in this area disappear.
• If there are blocked nerves and/or blood and lymphatic vessels, they are unlocked.
• The tension in your hamstring muscles is relieved.
• The whole your spine relaxes.

Exercise 10: Rotating straight hands from shoulders

• Return to the slope of 20 degrees. Spread your hands, perpendicular to your body and start rotating them from your shoulders. Make sure that rotation is just from your shoulders – your elbows and wrists are fixed.
• Do 10 rotations in forward direction, then,
• Do 10 rotations in backward direction.

Results:

• Opens shoulder joints, shoulder blades and stretches your chest muscles.

Go back to a starting position and return on your belly.

Exercise 11 = Spinal Extension

• Next, go to the center, grab the frame underneath and start pressing your feet backwards, in the direction of your back, then release them. Repeat this at least 5x times.
• After that, grad the frame the top and repeat the same for at least 5x times.
• Then stretch your arms forward, past your head, and fix your palms on the floor. Now repeat the same exercise, with 5 repetitions, or more.

Results: 

• Extending your spinal column, and opens your chest and shoulders

Exercise 12: Full Cobra

We can now return to the starting position, relax for a while and then continue with full cobra pose.

• Since we are upside down, we do a full cobra pose.
• Again, we keep the chin to the chest and gaze to the nose.
• Take 5 full breaths
• While you are here turn your head to the right and remain here whilst gazing towards your feet.
• Return to the center
• Then turn your head to the left and remain here for 3 to 5 breathes while gazing towards your feet.

Results:

• With this exercise the lumbar part of our spine opens, strengthens it and our lordosis gradually disappears.
• This will open your shoulder; your chest and your entire spine will pulled off. Stay on the pose for ten full breaths.

Exercise 13: Side Angle

• Afterwards, put right hand in the center of the table and raise the left arm perpendicularly to the bench, so that both hands form one straight line. Take 5-10 full breaths
• Do the same on the other side – left hand on the table, right hand raised, with 5-10 full breaths.

Results:

• Stimulates your blood and lymphatic circulation
• Releases the tension in your hips and joints
• Opens your abdominal area and your chest
• Allows your shoulder to move freely without strain
• Relaxes your neck and neck muscles

Exercise 14: Cross body shoulder stretch

• We will repeat this stretch, but now your straight right arm is lying under your chest, and the left arm is grabbing the frame.
• Stray here for 5 – 10 full breaths and
• Switch the arms – your left arm is under your chest and right one is grabbing the frame, and stay here for 5 – 10 full breaths.

Results:

• Opening your shoulders, your shoulder blades and extending your side torso muscles.

Exercise 15: Straight hands clasped behind the back

• Straighten your hands behind you and clasp them; stay here for 5 to 10 full breaths.
• When finish, with inhalation turn your head to the right and at the same time your hands to the left
• Exhaling go back to the center.
• Then, with inhalation turn your head to the left and your hands to the right, at the same time.
• This is 1 round
• Do from 3 to 5 rounds
• Now, since you are here clasp your hands opposite to the previous one, so palms facing the ceiling, and remain in this pose for 5 to 10 full breaths.

Results:

• Opening your shoulders as well as your chest muscles.
• You will also feel extension of back muscles and relaxation in your neck muscles.
• Removing lower back pain.

Exercise 16: Hands as a Prayer Behind

• Place your hand around your body.
• Slowly and gently try to reach your palms between your shoulder blades in a prayer position.
• Stay here for 5 to 10 full breaths.
• Then release and relax.
• Modification: If you are not able to touch your palms in between your shoulder blades, grab your elbows behind your back, instead.

Results:

• Open your shoulders
• Open your chest
• Removes the pressure on your lungs and your heart and make them work with ease and at its full productiveness
• Increases your breathing capacity

Exercise 17: Interlocked hands behind the back

• While almost fully inverted, raise your right hand above your head, bend it from the elbow and walk your fingers as far as you can down to your spine. Then, twist your left hand behind and try to interlock the fingers or hands behind your back. Stay here for 5 to 10 full breaths.
• Switch the hands and repeat the same on the other side for 5 to 10 full breaths.
• Modification: if you can’t reach your hand behind you back, use towel, robe, strap or belt.

Results:

• Opening you shoulder joints and shoulder blades,
• Stretching and opening your shoulder muscles and also your chest, torso and abdominal muscles.

Exercise 18: Fingers interlaced behind the nape

From where you are, at this slope, interlace your hands behind your neck.

• With inhaling turn to the right, while trying to keep your whole body in one plane;
• Exhaling return to the center;
• Then inhaling, turn to the left, keeping your whole body in one plane;
• Return to the center with exhalation
• This is 1 round
• We will do 3 to 5 rounds

Results:

• Extending and relaxing your side muscle groups around your neck, shoulders and spine;
• Releasing the tension in your hip joints;

When we are done with all the sets, I will advise you to have no less than 10 minutes relaxation after these exercises.

What are the options?

1. On the table at any position you prefer on your chest or on your back.
2. Off the table – on the floor or in the bad, making sure your spine is in one line, without any pillows.

If you chose to relax on the table, lying on your back, I would suggest, before full relaxation to use the Alternate Nostril Breathing

19. Alternate nostril breathing  

• 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.

Do 3 to 5 rounds.

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.
• It also tranquillizes your body and mind.

Note: If you feel any pain anywhere in your body during the practice, STOP. Go and check with you medical practitioner.  Start only after the pain has gone. It doesn’t matter how long it will take – hour, day, week or month. Don’t start before the pain has gone.

Note: To gain the best results, you will need to be determined and persistent.

Note: For those of you who don’t feel ready, process slowly and gradually.

Note: To take full advantage of this, try following this sequence, without interruption.

Note: As this sequence is very intensive, you can start with it 3 times a week and gradually increase it to 5 or 6 days per week.

Note: You can do these exercises any time but the most preferable time is in the morning, before you have taken any food. Also in the evening, but at least 4 – 5 hours after you’ve had your light food.

Note: If you need a toiler during the practice – stop, use the toilet, then drink some water (for hydration) and wait for 3 – 5 minutes. After that, start from the beginning.

Here is the link with demonstration of the set of the exercises: https://youtu.be/nO6RPSvyvMw

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

1. If you have high blood pressure or any other cardiovascular conditions, please ask your doctor for their approval whether or not to use inversion therapy; 
2. For those of you who are having some historical or present brain conditions, please consult with the medical specialist and neurologist before start practicing this therapy;
3. Consult with your doctor or physical practitioner if you have  glaucoma and other health issues before starting inversions;
4. For women in their pregnancy it is  recommended to avoid inverting;
5. Who have recently had injuries or surgery, this is strongly recommended to start with invasion therapy, only after your full recovery;

Final thoughts

Inversion therapy has been proven to bring many benefits in the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of human life.

By applying this intensive method as your daily routine, you will discover a lot more hidden abilities that you did not even suspect that you have.

In a short period after beginning your practice, you will realize that everything you do becomes much easier.

Additionally, this increases your creativity in your workplace, your relationship and to your personality.

Furthermore, you are becoming more focused on the important things in your life, whether they are material, physical, mental, emotional or spiritual.

Moreover, efficiency in everything that you do in your life will be notable.

And last but not the least, by doing this practice at least 3 times a week, your will be having a positive mindset and live the life full of joy, happiness and prosperity.