Teeter Hang Ups are inversion tables created and marketed by Roger Teeter. When strapped to one of these tables, you are turn upside down and hang in place for a given amount of time, thereby allowing your spine to decompress. Light exercise routines can be added to the inversion therapy to keep your blood flowing and improve your leg and abdominal strength.
History
Roger Teeter first experienced inversion therapy in 1980 and found that it helped his chronic back pain. The following year, he and his wife founded the Sky's the Limit company to market inversion therapy products, the first of which were gravity boots. Over the years, exercise on Teeter products became increasingly popular with the general public through marketing on the Home Shopping Network. In 1999, the US Army Physical Fitness School even adopted Teeter products into its training program.
Features
The exercises you can do on Teeter Hang Ups inversion tables range from light stretching to full core and leg strengthening routines. Light exercise routines require you to invert partially on the table between 15 and 60 degrees. The Teeter exercise guide then advises you to rock forward and backward evenly or at regular intervals from your inverted position. If you opt for more intense exercise, full inversion to 90 degrees is advised. When fully inverted, you may do sit-ups, squats, stretching or body twists.
Function
The main function of Teeter exercises is to reverse the negative effects of gravity on your spine and muscles. According to a study published in 2008 in the "Journal of Bone and Mineral Research," researcher Alireza Moayyeri and his University of Cambridge research team found that middle-aged and senior citizens with more than ½ cm of height loss in a single year are highly susceptible to bone fractures. The exercises done on Teeter Hang Ups purportedly reverse losses in height and reduce excessive stress on your bones. It is also claimed that inversion therapy exercise strengthens your ligaments and circulation, which can improve muscle recovery and growth.
Angle
How far you invert while exercising can affect the amount of benefits and intensity of workout you receive. According to the Teeter exercise guide, you receive stretching and spinal decompression benefits from as little as 20 degrees of inversion. Maximum benefits are received at 60 degrees of inversion. Fully inverting to 90 degrees increases the intensity of the exercise you are performing and is only advised for experienced Teeter Hang Ups users.
Warning
It is advised that you consult your doctor before starting a Teeter exercise program. People with weak bones, skeletal implants, conjunctivitis, high blood pressure, spinal injury, risk of stroke and women who are pregnant should never use an inversion table for exercise. If you feel dizzy or queasy while inverted, stop the exercise immediately.
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