Inversion Therapy and Athletes

People who show concern about their quality of life and health (and athletes certainly do) are adding inversion to their daily fitness routines. Inversion aids athletes in several ways. Inversion helps stretching Nearly every physical activity involves at least some form of spinal compression. Gravity's already-compressive effect compounds with activities such as running, weightlifting, aerobics, skiing, biking, and golf, which can exact a painful and potentially injurious toll on the spinal discs and back muscles. If we perform our daily activities in the wrong way, we can misalign our spines. Most often these misalignments are negotiable and automatically correct themselves, given the time and opportunity. Inversion with movement (such as side-to-side bends, back arches, and a partial sit-up or two) provides such an opportunity. This decompressive, inverted stretch is most beneficial when done at the end of a workout, or following any significant physical effort, such as manual labor. An alternative is to invert at the end of the day, before going to sleep.

Enables bodily realignment

One-sided activities are perhaps athletes' most damaging and troublesome routines, for two reasons: the body tends to over-compensate for the strong-side muscle groups, pulling the spine out of correct alignment; and one-sided activities usually involve spinal rotation, often under incredible strain. The muscles that rotate the intervertebral joints in one direction often grow stronger than those that rotate it in the other direction. These unequal forces weaken the joints, making them susceptible to poor performance and injuries. This is because parts of the bone surfaces begin to bear too much weight, often resulting in pain. Examples of these activities are golf, water skiing, racquet sports, bowling, and baseball.

Inversion after one-sided activities realigns the spine, keeping athletes performing at higher levels for longer periods of time.

Reduces pain in overworked muscles

Athletes prone to stiffness or muscle spasms after a workout can benefit from the lymphatic rejuvenation provided by inversion therapy. Intense, athletic activities nearly always results in sore muscles. This is because of the build up of large quantities of lactic acid and carbon dioxide in the affected areas, produced as by-products of muscle exertion. The faster the body clears this waste, the sooner the disappearance of muscle stiffness. Inversion therapy alternately stretches and relaxes your muscles through various movements, effectively clearing this accumulation of waste chemicals. Countless athletes have found that severe back spasms that used to require up to 10 days for recovery are now cleared in three to four days, all due to the use of inversion.

Provides balance and coordination training

Inversion training can greatly enhance the performance of inverted activities. Unfamiliarity with moving upside-down causes disorientation, making the performance of any activity in this position very difficult. Inversion training develops balance-awareness, which occurs whenever the upper regions of the inner ear are stimulated. Sky divers, gymnasts, springboard divers, and scuba divers find that inversion therapy acclimates their bodies and the inner ear to the upside-down world. Inversion therapy has also been used to stabilize the ear canal, successfully treating motion sickness.

Strengthens ligaments

Ligaments are the fibrous strips that secure and support your skeletal structure. Of all your numerous ligaments, most important are the ligaments which hold the disc nuclei inside respective discs, and the paraspinal ligaments that run the length of the spinal column, crucially protecting and strengthening your spine. Ligaments, while flexible, are not very elastic. Thus, they can tear when they over-stretched. The gentle reverse pulling and stretching that occurs in inversion strengthens both ligaments and connective tissue, helping to prevent serious injury.

Summary

• Stretching the spine can reverse the detrimental effects of compressive activities (running, weightlifting, aerobics), which are compounded by the force of gravity.
• One-sided sports such as golf, baseball, and tennis often pull the spine out of healthy alignment. Inversion works to realign the vertebrae, preventing serious injury and increasing performance capabilities.
• Inversion stimulates the lymphatic system to cleanse the muscles of built-up lactic acid waste, relieving sore muscles more quickly, and thereby reducing downtime.
• Inverted training allows skydivers, gymnasts, scuba divers and springboard divers adjust their balance and coordination to the upside-down world.
• Stretching spinal ligaments helps to reduce the risk of athletic injury.