Benefits and Harms of Headstands
Headstands are good for Flexibility:
It stretches the muscles in the back of your neck, which is very beneficial for people who spend long hours with their heads down. The deep stretch in your neck opens up the front of your throat and chest allowing more oxygen to flow freely throughout your body. Since most of us are always breathing through our mouths, this is extremely beneficial.
Headstands are also good for Balance:
I think this one speaks for itself. We all know that life is already hard enough with the extra weight of our heads and it certainly doesn’t get any easier when you add balance to the mix. But like anything else, practice makes perfect, and eventually, you won’t even notice the weight of your head as all of your weight will be on your hands.
Headstands are bad for:
Headstands can be bad for people who get dizzy extremely easily, get extremely lightheaded, or have issues with high blood pressure. If you fit in any of these categories I strongly recommend you consult a licensed medical professional before attempting to do any headstand because they could blackout and hurt themselves.
inversions are good for Inversion is good for the joints because it opens up the space in the bony structure of your joints.
inversions are bad for It can be considered bad for your neck. If you have a history of neck problems, I strongly recommend consulting with a licensed medical professional before attempting to do any headstands because they could make your condition worse.
inversions are bad for People who have recently undergone foot, knee, or hip surgery should avoid inversions until their doctors tell them it is okay to start doing them again. This is because inverted poses increase the blood flow to your legs which increases recovery time.
People who can do Headstands:
People who have good strength in their upper body, decent flexibility through the back of their necks and shoulders, and who don’t mind bearing weight on their heads.
People who cannot do Headstands:
People with bad neck pain, shoulder problems (especially with the rotator cuff), high blood pressure or cardiovascular issues, or people who are afraid to try it.
People who should avoid Headstands:
People with heart conditions, high blood pressure, neck injuries, or people who are afraid to try it. There is nothing wrong with being afraid of something and your doctor will likely encourage you to do whatever makes you feel safe. I would advise against doing inversions during pregnancy because there isn’t enough research to show if they’re really safe.
Decreasing the negative effects of Headstands:
If you have problems with your neck, shoulders, or hips in a headstand position, there are ways to make it less stressful on your body.
keeping weight in your legs will decrease pressure in your upper body and allow for a healthier experience
Try to keep most of your weight in your legs and not your upper body.
Bend your knees whenever possible, or fold them into a diamond shape if you can do that easily enough. This will decrease the angle at which the top of your shoulders rests against the floor (shoulder stand position), which will decrease pressure on your upper body.
If you need to place a blanket under your hips, make sure one end is under your head and the other end is under your elbows. When you lean forward on your head (the transitional movement between shoulder stand and downward-facing dog), make sure the majority of your weight goes through the mid-point where your hands are.
This will decrease the amount of pressure on your upper body. Make sure you learn how to do a headstand properly before you start trying to reduce the negative effects because it could make your condition worse if done improperly.
Benefits of headstand for skin:
The inverted pose of the headstand is an ideal way to get brighter and more radiant skin. It helps in opening up the lymphatic system, which deals with fluid retention in the body. Inverted poses improve circulation and nourish cells by improving drainage from the whole body. When done on a regular basis, a headstand can reduce pigmentation, fine lines, wrinkles, and scars.
Headstands are often used in therapeutic yoga to increase circulation into the brain, which can help stress relief and clarity. When executed properly, it also offers a good amount of stimulation to the thyroid gland, which can boost metabolism. Increased metabolism helps burn excess fat tissue. Since the skin has large pores and is exposed to the elements, it can benefit from increased circulation and drainage.
Body:
The body itself gets a good stretch as one hangs upside down. As the weight of the legs or feet pulls on muscles in the back or shoulders, they get stretched out and elongated. This is especially helpful for those with tight hamstrings as it takes the pressure off the muscles and allows them to stretch out.
Legs:
The legs get a good stretch as well, which helps with blood and lymph circulation and can also help with stiffness and tension in the calves and thighs. Regular inverted poses like headstands help keep feet healthy by improving their function as they grip the floor, improving flexibility in the ankles, and increasing the strength of the toes.
Hips:
Inverted poses can help stretch out hips which is helpful for those with tight hips from sitting too much. They also have a balancing effect since inverted poses require you to lift your senses from the ground up. This helps improve coordination, equilibrium, and concentration.
Benefits of the Headstand for Mind:
Headstands are not only beneficial to the body, but also to the mind. Yoga is an ancient practice that helps people connect their minds and bodies through relaxation and controlled breathing.
The inverted pose can help with mental focus, concentration, memory recall, and anxiety. It also promotes physical stability because it requires your whole body to work together for proper balance.
The inverted nature of headstands makes it a calming pose that helps slow down the heart and breathing rate, which can reduce stress levels. The release of certain neurotransmitters like serotonin can promote calm as well as happiness.
This is why many people practice meditative yoga such as headstands after a long day. Since the body is inverted, blood pressure is reduced which can help prevent cardiovascular diseases and other problems associated with having too high of blood pressure.
Headstands are great for those who suffer from insomnia as they will promote more restful sleep. When done before going to bed, it helps prepare the body to relax by slowing down the heart rate and breathing as well as calming the mind.
During a headstand, blood pressure is reduced which allows for more oxygen to make it all the way to the brain. This increases mental clarity and memory recall abilities. It also helps those who suffer from headaches by reducing the build-up of blood around the neck area. Headstands can even help reduce mental stress since they encourage a calm state of mind.
Headstands heighten the senses which can also be beneficial to those who suffer from chronic pain or migraines. Inverted poses tend to put less pressure on the nerve endings and therefore, reduce some of the aches and pains. Headstands are especially good for helping those with nerve pain.
When you put your head down, it can actually improve your memory recall by stimulating a different part of the brain. It relaxes the cerebral cortex which is responsible for short-term memories and stress response. This particular area of the brain receives a boost in blood flow due to gravity pulling the veins closer together. This increase in blood flow helps deliver more oxygen to this area, which is critical for mental clarity.
Headstands can help with anxiety by increasing serotonin levels which are responsible for making you feel happy. The increased blood flow also stimulates the release of dopamine, another neurotransmitter that’s associated with feelings of well-being and happiness.
The inverted pose can help with insomnia by promoting better sleep cycles. If you practice inverted yoga poses before bedtime, it has the potential to help someone fall asleep faster and stay in a deeper sleep for longer periods of time.
Benefits of headstand for weight loss:
Headstands also have some weight-loss benefits due to the fact that they increase your basal metabolic rate. This means that your body will burn more calories while you are in an inverted position since it requires your body to work harder to maintain the pose.
Benefits of headstand for mind clarity:
When practicing a headstand, blood pressure is decreased which allows more oxygen to make it to the brain. This will increase mental clarity by increasing the nourishment of certain brain cells (specifically, astrocytes). Astrocytes help store long-term memories and are responsible for our learning abilities. So if you’re looking for a way to better retain information, try practicing some yoga poses like headstands.
Benefits of headstand for asthma:
The inverted position can help with asthma by opening up the airways and strengthening the lungs. It’s also helpful for those who suffer from bronchitis since it helps clear mucus.
Headstands may also help with sinus infections if practiced regularly because they improve lymphatic drainage around the sinus cavities. This can help ease symptoms by draining out any bacteria that may be trapped in the area.
Benefits of headstand for blood pressure:
Headstands are great for relieving stress because they release neurotransmitters that act as natural stress-reducing hormones. When you hold the pose, your body releases feel-good hormones like dopamine and serotonin. These neurotransmitters promote feelings of happiness while strengthening the immune system against disease.
The inverted position can also help with blood pressure by reducing the amount of stress placed on the veins in our neck which are responsible for pumping blood to our brain. When you go upside down, it reduces this pressure which, in turn, allows for better circulation.
Benefits of headstand for concentration:
Headstands have also been known to help improve concentration by stimulating different brain waves that are responsible for focus and attention. It activates the deeper parts of our brain that are responsible for focus and attention so it’s great for those who suffer from ADD or ADHD.
Benefits of headstand for heart health:
Headstands may also be beneficial for heart health by increasing blood flow to the coronary arteries. This is essential because it allows more blood to supply our hearts with oxygen which boosts cardiovascular function and can improve overall heart health.
Benefits of headstands for diabetes:
Headstands can help with diabetes by breaking down glycogen in our liver which helps to lower blood sugar levels. This is because it forces the body to use more of its fat stores than carbohydrate or protein stores for energy while we are inverted.
Benefits of headstand for colds and congestion:
When you’re sick, your lymph nodes get congested which can lead to a stuffy nose and sore throat. This is because when your muscles contract, they create pressure on these nodes which blocks up these pathways. Inverted positions can help clear lymphatic drainage by alleviating the amount of pressure placed on them since they’re in a downward direction.
Benefits of headstand for digestion:
Another benefit that comes from going upside down is the way it can affect digestion. Headstands help stimulate certain glands in our body like our liver and pancreas which improves our digestive function by producing more enzymes that help break down food. When these organs are activated, this helps to ease symptoms of indigestion, heartburn, or constipation.
Benefits of headstand for focus and attention:
When we’re in a stressful state, our sympathetic nervous system is activated which releases cortisol. This hormone is responsible for helping us adapt to stress by increasing our heart rate and blood pressure which can make it harder to focus or concentrate.
Since inverted poses help reduce the amount of cortisol that’s released into our bodies, we’re able to control our attention levels better which makes headstands a great pose to practice. If you struggle with ADD or ADHD and go upside down, it can help clear the mind and make it easier to focus for longer periods of time.