IMPORTANT DETAILS REGARDING INVERTING
Begin Slowly:
• Invert only 15 - 20 degrees to begin with.
The hand
grips feature engravings that illustrate the body
position at 0°, 30°, 60°, & 90°.
• Stay down as long as you are comfortable, even if
only a few seconds at first.
Pay Attention to What Your Body Tells You:
• Remind yourself that your body is unique and it will tell you what is good for it.
• Come up slowly, dizziness after a session is a sign that you have come up too
fast.
Important:
rest at horizontal for 30 seconds or more, allowing your body
to readjust to being upright.
• Wait for a while after you've eaten before you invert.
• If inversion makes you nauseous, don't fight it. Come up as soon as you feel queasy, even if after only a few seconds.
Give it time--it may take weeks or months before your inner ear gets used to inverting.
Make Changes Gradually:
• Increase the angle in small increments only if it is comfortable to you. You can gain all the benefits of inversion without
ever inverting beyond 60 degrees. Muscle stretching and relaxation can be realized at as little as 20 degrees.
• You may want to increase your routine from 1-2 minutes to 5 or more over time - just listen to your body. Remember,
this is not a no pain, no gain situation!
Moving While Inverted is Helpful:
• Add gentle stretching and light exercises only after you are comfortable with inversion. Movement while inverted may
help make inversion a more comfortable experience and may help joints to realign and muscles to stretch and relax.
• Movement may be accomplished either by intermittent or rhythmic traction or by stretching and light exercise*:
Intermittent traction consists of 1-2 minutes down and a half minute up, to be repeated as long as
is comfortable at angles that are comfortable for you.
Rhythmic traction is a more evenly spaced rocking up and down.
Stretching can be done at partial inversion (torso rotation) or at full
inversion (torso rotation, back extension and flexion).
Light exercise should only be performed from the fully inverted, "locked"
position. Crunches, full-range sit-ups and squats provide a great way to
strengthen muscles with virtually no loads to your joints.
Keep elbows close to the body while exercising to avoid impact
with the A-frame. DO NOT use weights, elastic bands or any other
exercise or stretching device while on the inversion table. Confine
all inverted activities to smooth movements. Aggressive exercises,
which involve a lot of body movement, can cause equipment to
tip over resulting in serious injury or death.
Do It Regularly:
• Make inversion a regular routine and integral part of your life...that
is how you will experience the most benefits!
© COPYRIGHT 2004, STL International, Inc.
International Law Prohibits Any Copying, 12/04-11
