The cardiovascular system (also known as the circulatory system) consists of the heart, blood vessels and the blood. It is responsible for transporting nutrients, oxygen, hormones and waste products throughout the body. It helps fight diseases and maintain a stable internal environment.
Gravity provides a very logical explanation for the benefits that inversions have on the circulatory system:
1. Efficient oxygen- to- blood exchange in the lungs
2. Gives the heart a break
We all know that the force of gravity pulls us down that’s why we are able to stand upright. Similarly, gravity has an effect on the blood in our body. Gravity acts on the blood in our body and blood reaches the lower lungs more thoroughly meaning, our lower lungs tissue is more compressed than the upper lungs. In other words, the upper lungs have more space and the air we inhale fills the upper lungs causing the ratio of air to blood in the lungs to be uneven.
To ensure, efficient oxygen- to- blood exchange in the lungs :
a) You can practice deep inhalation to increase the ratio of air to blood in the lower lungs
b) Alternatively, you can practice inversions to allow the blood to reach the upper lungs
Apart from the benefit of efficient oxygen- to- blood exchange, inversions also allow the heart to take a break. In order to bring oxygenated blood to the brain, the heart has to work extra hard because it has to work against gravity to pump oxygenated blood up to the brain. When inverted, gravity acts on the blood and moves the blood to our brain and oxygenated blood reaches our brain faster with little work from the heart.
Simple inversions like downward dog or wide angle forward bend can produce the above benefits! Now get inverted today!
Jazryl
200hrs YTT Vinyasa Flow
