Can doing a headstand every day boost your sex life?
… not to mention improve your complexion, banish grey hair and even increase your brain power!
My eyeballs feel like they are about to explode, and I am slightly concerned that my brain may seep out of my ears. still, I feel inordinately proud of myself — because for the first time in three decades, I am doing a headstand. If only my school Pe class could see me now. Oh yes, and my seven-year-old daughter lara is supervising, with a great deal of patronising pleasure.
‘Come on, Mummy,’ she chides. ‘ you haven’t even got straight legs yet.’
but despite appearances, I’m not regressing to childhood — I’m taking part in the latest fitness trend.
last week, the terribly cool sadie Frost posted pictures on social media of herself standing on her head at a yoga retreat in Goa. The pictures show the 50-year- old balancing on her forearms, toned legs doing the splits upside down.
In yoga, the headstand is known as the king of postures because of the benefits, and considered the pinnacle of achievement in the discipline. but experts warn it should not to be tried unsupervised by beginners.
‘every movement of going into a headstand needs to be controlled,’ says yoga practitioner angelka Cavana. ‘you risk putting a great deal of pressure on the cervical spine — that is the delicate bones of the neck. It’s vital that you have good core strength and a certain level of yoga ability. People need to realise that 90 per cent of your weight must rest in the forearms not the neck.’
angelka will only teach headstands to her advanced students, but it does form part of many yoga classes. Rest assured I only tried with an expert when I first gave it a go.
but if it’s so tricky, why do people keep doing it? There are a range of claimed health advantages to standing on your head, or inversion (turning yourself upside down) using other methods. and leading medics agree that it could lead to significant positive changes.
‘you are increasing the blood flow to the head,’ points out sports psychologist Dr Rhonda Cohen, of Middlesex University. ‘This can stimulate the brain, glands and hormones. The extra blood to the brain means that concentration may improve, and production of hormones such as oestrogen, adrenaline, dopamine and melatonin may increase, improving mood, sex drive and energy.’
The theory is that increasing the blood flow to glands in your head helps to improve and regulate their function, leading them to produce more hormones. The hormones secreted control other processes in your body, including sexual desire. so standing on your head could be a way to kickstart things in the bedroom.
WHILE you invert, it’s also said that muscle tension decreases by 35 per cent, so there might be a reduction in stress and insomnia.
Posturally there are multiple benefits. ‘ Inversion can reduce back pain as this position extends and stretches the spine,’ says Rhonda. ‘It’s also excellent for the core muscles around the stomach, which are vital for standing up with good posture.’
advocates say the headstand also has anti- ageing effects because more blood is brought to the face, bringing extra nutrients and oxygen to the skin. However, medical experts are less convinced. ‘The circulation supplying facial skin is excellent,’ points out cosmetic dermatologist Dr sam bunting. ‘I doubt inversions offer any significant added benefit.’
Consultant trichologist Iain sallis says that in theory increased blood flow to the scalp, and therefore to hair follicles, may have some effect on hair growth. some yoga fans even claim that enough headstands will give grey hair its colour back. ‘There is no evidence for this whatsoever,’ says Iain. ‘The melanocytes (pigment-forming cells) which affect hair colour are not dependent on blood flow.’
I can only vouch for a healthy glow, though the effect was temporary. angelka has noted that students see improved digestion, which makes sense, as you are flooding the digestive system with extra blood as well as compressing the area as you get into position. studies have also shown that yoga may help with such problems as irritable bowel syndrome.
so far, so Gwyneth Paltrow. Turn yourself upside down and boost hair, skin, sex drive, temperament and brain power. but what’s the other side of the story?
‘Putting yourself in a head-down position means that the blood pressure is higher in the upper body including the brain and eyes,’ says consultant ophthalmic surgeon ali Mearza. ‘If you have high blood pressure or heart problems this may increase risk of a vascular event, such as a stroke.’
It isn’t recommended for pregnant women, and Rhonda says to avoid it if you have a spinal injury or recently broken bone.
There are also dangers for the eyes. ‘ Don’t do this if you have glaucoma. In a headstand the pressure in the eyes can almost double and may cause problems which threaten sight,’ ali adds.
Raised pressure in blood vessels around the eyes may also cause them to pop, leaving the eyes temporarily bright red. ‘It’s not dangerous, but you might look scary for a week,’ says ali. I do a lot of Pilates, so felt my core strength could be up to a headstand demand. I coaxed personal trainer Tyrone brennand, who works with a host of celebrities including David
Gandy, to talk me through the move. He suggested I start with a basic version against a wall, rather than attempting sadie Frost’s tricky pose. ‘Place a towel on a gym mat or carpet, for some extra cushioning,’ he says. ‘ Then interlace your fingers with the thumbs on top, crouch down and place your joined hands on the towel about four inches from the wall.
‘Rest your elbows either side of the towel. Then bend your neck and place the crown of your head on the towel, inside your arms. Gently raise the hips, using core muscles to push the legs slowly up against the wall. It’s crucial to keep the core muscles tight and the body straight to prevent injury.’
The first time I try it, I’d just eaten pizza. I’m worried how a full stomach will react to being upside down.
Nonetheless, I tuck my head down, push all my weight on to my forearms and tense my stomach muscles. Nothing happens. In the end, I do a little push off with my feet and my legs swing upwards and hit the wall.
It is surprisingly easy, though I am not exactly comfortable and am careful to keep my weight off my neck and into my arms. My stomach feels fine, and I gain some new perspective on life — I am dismayed to notice a lot of dust under the bed.
‘It’s advisable to come down slowly and straight into child’s pose (a relaxing, curled-up yoga stance),’ says Tyrone.
but I must have done it rather too quickly, as I get a rush of blood to the head and wobble a bit.
I try it a few times over the weekend, and it gets easier each time. ‘breathe in and out slowly,’ says Tyrone. ‘Don’t exceed six breaths while upside down in the first week.’ That’s no problem for me — I find my face starting to fizz a bit after this much. as for the health benefits, I’m not sure I’ve experienced them yet although I’m sleeping better and can see that headstands could make a difference to digestion.
AND if you can’t manage the full headstand, there are options. ‘There are alternatives, which give benefits without the risks,’ suggests angelka.
‘a handstand against a wall doesn’t put pressure on the neck. Or lie on your back and do a shoulder stand — a gentler yoga pose in which you rest on your shoulders while lifting your legs and supporting your hips with your hands. For the nervous, keep your bottom on the floor, place your legs against the wall. This is still good for you.’
Personally, I am charmed by the idea of a daily headstand. even though my daughter thinks I’m rubbish, I might carry on doing them in the privacy of my room.