The end result is that inversion has eliminated back pain when nothing else would. Hanging upside down opens up your back and allows everything to relax, which significantly reduces stress in your back muscles and reduces, or even eliminates, acute and chronic pain.
#2: Reduces Stress
As soon as you adjust to hanging upside down, usually after 60 seconds, you begin to feel the relaxing benefits of inversion. I find that simply hanging upside with my eyes closed is a great time for meditation or just relaxation.
Others have said that inversion feels like a whole body massage. Either way, the benefit here is clear. Inversion puts your mind and body at ease.
#3: Improves Focus, Balance, and Brain Function
When you hang upside down, oxygen-rich blood flows to your brain (which is a little bizarre at first) but after you adjust to it you begin to notice your brain feels more alive.
Since you brain is the largest consumer of oxygen in your body, more blood means more oxygen, which means better brain function.
I personally noticed that after inverting I feel more focused, my balance improves as I adjust to seeing the world from different perspectives, and I can think more clearly.
My first experience with improved brain function occurred after my first aerial yoga experience, when I inverted for only a few minutes. The benefits here are clear and immediate.
#4: Improves Leg & Core Strength
One of the greatest benefits of inversion is being able to exercise without interacting with the ground. While inverting, you can do upside down squats, crunches, or even push-ups.
If you are an experienced weight lifter, you will quickly notice how much harder it is to fight gravity in the opposite direction, which makes the workout that much more beneficial.
Inverted crunches are especially appealing because your back has little to no pressure applied to it as you curl up and back down. You will easily feel the powerful effects with just one set of ten repetitions.