How Long Can a Person Safely Hang Upside Down?

Hanging upside down is an interesting phenomenon that has been studied and discussed by experts in both the medical and fitness worlds. While it may sound like a fun activity, there are actually potential risks associated with hanging upside down for an extended period of time. Therefore, it is important to understand the implications of this activity and how long one can hang upside down before the body begins to experience any serious adverse effects. This blog post explores the risks of hanging upside down for too long and provides some advice on how to safely enjoy this activity without putting yourself in danger.

Can Hanging Upside Down Kill You?

Enhances Function of Lymphatic System

As pressure put on the lymphatic system is released during body inversions, the lymphatic system’s functionality is improved.

For 30 seconds to two minutes, hanging upside down has no discernible negative effects. The dangers of hanging upside down for the allotted amount of time are as follows:

When inverted within the allotted time, you could pass out or become unconscious. This is rare, though. Only those who are extremely sensitive are prone to syncope. But if you hang upside down for longer than necessary, your risk of syncope also rises.

There may be minor issues like headaches, heavy eyes, and dizziness. However, these would vanish as soon as you stood up straight.

how long can you hang upside down before dying

These conditions could deteriorate if you have an underlying illness like hypertension or other metabolic conditions. Although unlikely, there is a chance that it could happen.

Therefore, it appears that the general rule is to stop if you feel like stopping while upside down.

In 2009, a Utah man named John Jones died after spending 28 hours stuck upside down in a cave. Rescue workers tried to work fast, but the walls of the passage were so narrow, they werent able to get him out before he died — most likely of asphyxiation. Turns out, your lungs evolved to sit atop of all the other organs for a reason. Delicate organs that they are, it doesnt take them long to get squished by the bigger, heavier organs like the liver and intestines that usually sit below them. This isnt as much of a problem when youre lying on an incline with your feet slightly elevated above your head, but when your head is directly underneath your feet, your lungs simply cant absorb enough oxygen given the available space they have to work with.

Dont worry — none of those things would happen. But hanging out in a head-down position isnt completely harmless, either. In fact, being suspended upside down for too long might not eject your eyeballs (although it can occasionally lead to temporary loss of vision in some people), but it would eventually kill you.

“In yoga, inversions are considered beneficial in a number of ways; headstand and shoulderstand are among the most important of all the asanas, cleansing the lymphatic system and stimulating all of the systems in general,” says Julie Phillips, an aerial yoga and dance instructor at Canopy Studio in Athens, Georgia. “Yogis are known to hold inversions for long periods of time — 12 minutes, and Ive even read there are some who hold them for hours. On the personal level, while I dont hold inversions anywhere near that long, I find them to be very therapeutic.”

The Ancient Roman practice of execution by crucifixion was most often done upside down if the goal was to kill the person quickly.

Of course, an object suspended from a tree or another object has less support than an inversion table.

Some people enjoy hanging upside down. They vouch for it as a back pain remedy. Try inversion therapy on a table if you’re interested in giving it a shot. However, be sure to have a specialist, a physical therapist, or a friend nearby to assist you in standing up again.

But keep in mind, there’s little proof to back up the efficacy of these benefits. Studies also haven’t confirmed the benefits of hanging upside down yet. Most of the studies done so far have been small scale.

Additionally, it is dangerous to hang upside down if you are obese, overweight, or pregnant. Always check with a doctor before trying inversion therapy.

Hanging upside down can be a fun activity. It might even bring back childhood memories for you, especially if you try it on the monkey bars. However, there is another reason why some adults today practice hanging upside down.

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