Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Go Upside Down

Going upside down (inverted) is not only fun, it's actually really good for you.


Gravity is always pulling everything in our body down (stupid gravity!). The heart has to pump blood, our lifeline, around the body and up to your brain. When you're upside down, you give your heart a break and fully oxygenated blood goes right to your brain. Blood also saturates the lower lungs while air naturally enters the upper lungs. Flip it around and the blood saturates the upper lungs giving you healthier tissue and better blood-oxygen exchange.


The lymphatic system's job is waste removal and immune system response. It is basically the dump truck of the body, collecting and removing the toxins throughout the body.  It works using muscle movement and gravity. Going upside down every so often stimulates waste removal and strengthens your immune system.

Another plus is that it will greatly improve your balance, coordination and concentration. Yogis use handstands to strengthen and stretch the upper body (torso, shoulders, arms, and wrists). Learning the wall-assisted handstand will allow you to progress to freestanding handstands, handstand walking and, of course, handstand pushups.

If nothing else, they might just make you feel like a kid again! So go ahead and play around - go upside down...

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WOD

470 farmer's walk

10 minutes to find your max handstand hold

as many reps as possible in 10 min:
kettlebell swing

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