Standing, dropping your head toward the floor and staring right into your kneecaps can be an excellent stretch for your lower back and hamstrings, but the exercise isn't for everyone. If you have cardiovascular disease or diabetes, you'll have to be extra careful about bending and standing very slowly. People with low blood pressure might feel dizzy after standing from a head-down stretch. Forward bends have many benefits for generally healthy people, but should be used with caution in people with heart disease.
Examples
Any time your head dips below the level of your heart, you could consider your head to be upside-down. Yoga instructors call some of these stretches forward bends -- standing up and bending forward so that your forehead dips toward the floor. Toe-touches and yoga's downward-facing dog pose are also examples of stretches that put your head below heart level.
Benefits
According to yoga guru B.K.S. Iyengar, forward bends relax the abdominal organs. "The sympathetic nervous system is rested, bringing down the pulse rate and blood pressure," Iyengar writes. He also explains that forward bends improve circulation and strengthen the muscles around the spine.
The American Council on Exercise, or ACE, says the downward-facing dog pose is a full-body exercise that stretches calves, shins and the lower back while strengthening the arms, chest and upper back. Forward folds release tension in the neck and stretch the lower back, so head-down stretches do have benefits.
Complications
According to ACE, head-down stretches aren't for everyone. People with cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and diabetes should avoid head-down poses, at least in the early stages of an exercise program. Because your blood flows so freely into your head, you might feel dizzy when you stand back up. If you suffer from orthostatic hypotension, which MayoClinic.com describes as low blood pressure that is related to changes in posture, you might feel faint or have blurry vision when standing after a head-down stretch.
Solutions
Of course, if you have a serious health problem, you should consult your physician about exercises that are safe for you. But if you are generally healthy and your doctor has approved forward-bending stretches, a few simple guidelines will allow you to reap the benefits of the poses without suffering adverse effects. When stretching after aerobic exercise, make sure you do an active cooldown before stretching. Take a gentle walk for five minutes or until your heart rate drops back below 100 beats per minute; this will keep your rapid-pumping heart from sending too much blood into your head when you bend forward. Take it slow when you come back to standing after bending forward. Avoid moving quickly between head-down and head-up poses, such as downward-facing dog and upward-facing dog. If you feel dizzy, sit down and wait for the dizziness to pass before you start moving again. If your dizziness is a persistent problem, or if you pass out after standing up from a forward bend, be sure to talk to your doctor.
References
- "Yoga -- the Path to Holistic Health"; B.K.S. Iyengar; 2001
- American Council on Exercise: Exercise Library
- "ACE Personal Trainer Manual"; American Council on Exercise; 2010
- MayoClinic.com: Orthostatic Hypotension
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