We often don’t talk about the actual health benefits that Yoga can have on your body, but we have been on a big inversion kick during our 50 day Yoga Challenge and our bodies are feeling great! This has inspired the

9 Health Benefits of Practicing Inversions

1. Inversion Helps Improve Circulation
   The cardiovascular system is your body’s transportation system, carrying food and oxygen to your body’s cells. It also retrieves blood from your legs and lower torso, carrying it upwards against the force of gravity. Inversion allows your body to work with gravity to ease the circulation process. 
2. Calms the mind and relieves stress-
   A full body stretch upside down can be rejuvenating and help the body to effectively relax. A study conducted by physiotherapist LJ Nose found that EMG activity (a measure of muscle tension) declined over 35% within ten seconds of inverting. Showing how helpful inversions can be in relieving the tension and pain in your muscles that is often caused by stress.
3. Reduce Pain in Overworked Muscles
   Athletes prone to stiffness or sore muscles after a workout can benefit from the lymphatic wash provided by inversion. The lymphatic system has no pump, putting the body upside down helps speed up the process of removing waste from the body.
4. Strengthens Ligaments-
   Ligaments are flexible but not very elastic. They can tear when stretched too much. The gentle reverse loading and movement that occurs while you invert strengthens ligaments and connective tissue.
5. Can Reduce Shrinking-
   Most people will lose from 1/2 inch – 2 inches in height during their lifetime because of thinning discs. As a baby, your discs are 90% water. The water content in the discs decreases to 70% by age 70. An active inversion program can help maintain more of your original height.
6. Improve Balance and Body Awareness-
   Inversion helps to develop balance awareness, which occurs when the upper regions of the inner ear are stimulated.
7. Strengthens the core-
   Holding a non supported inversion and moving in and out of poses develops deep strength. This strength is necessary to stabilize yourself upside down.
8. Enhance ability to concentrate and remain focused-
   Inversions help increase oxygen flow to the brain, which consumes 25 percent of the body’s oxygen intake.
9. They are fun!-
   When was the last time you went upside down? You probably did it all the time as a child and loved it. Start practicing again today and bring back some of that outgoing childhood spirit!

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