How to Use Gravity Boots
In a classic scene from the 1980 movie, “An American Gigilo,” featuring Richard Gere, he is seen suspended upside down, wearing gravity boots hooked around an inversion bar, as he repeats verbal exercises to a Scandinavian language tape playing nearby. Since that public debut, gravity boots have often been used in some private training gyms or in at home with inversion beds. The idea is any exercise performed when one is inverted upside down, requires greater use of the core abdominal muscles. Inversion beds allow gentle oscillation of the spine for those who have low back compression. For a serious athlete, using gravity boots is appropriate to create greater challenge in certain exercises. For the less athletic, simply hanging upside down for a brief period of time may provide traction along the length of the spine. This is achieved in classic yoga poses that require more training and body awareness.
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Instructions
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Slip on the gravity boots around thick socks that completely cushion the ankle joints. If you are using these boots for exercise, use a durable chin bar capable of withstanding your body weight. Test this while you are standing. Then, hook your gravity boots over the bar and slowly allow yourself to hang upside down. Remain for 20 to 30 seconds. If you experience any dizziness or light-headedness, slowly come up and squat so that your head is lowered near your chest. If the dizziness does not pass, remove the boots and simply rest.
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If you are able to invert safely without discomfort, progress to core abdominal work by crossing your arms over your chest. Curl your chest up towards your waist and slowly lower back down. Repeat 7 to 10 times. Rest.
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Adding a twist to this basic exercise will work the oblique abdominals. Cross your hands over the chest and curl up so that you try to reach your left knee with your right shoulder and lower down. Repeat to the second side. Do 7 to 10 repetitions. Rest.
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Inverting without doing any actual exercise is also beneficial as it creates spinal traction. Hanging upside down, lower your hands to the floor and allow the chin to come level to the floor. Arch the back slightly and then point the tailbone up to the heels to return to a neutral alignment.
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Interlace your hands behind the head and without any tugging or pulling whatsoever, just continue to let gravity uncoil the spine.Rest. Exit slowly by coming up and removing the boots and sitting comfortably for several minutes.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not use gravity boots if you have high or low blood pressure, have glaucoma, or other eye disorders or if you are pregnant. If you are taking any prescription medication, consult with your physician first.
