Teeter Exercise

Teeter inversion tables are used to release pressure on the spine and relieve back pain. They can be used to simply stretch the back, or they can be used to strengthen your body's core muscles by doing exercises on the equipment.

  1. The Back

    • The spine is the main location of chronic back injuries that come from acute overuse or improper use over a long period of time. The spine is made up of vertebrae, discs and nerves. The discs are located between vertebrae, and can get compressed and lose cushioning over time. This causes the back to be sore, and can potentially press on a nearby nerve, causing shooting pains.

    Stretching Exercises

    • Simply by inverting yourself on a Teeter inversion table, gravity will help elongate your spine and stretch out your core muscles. This can be done in preparation for a workout, or at the start and end of your day to keep you from becoming sore and in pain. The Teeter company recommends that you start out inverting slightly several times a day for one to two minutes and work up to a deeper inversion for up to five minutes each time for best results.

    Core Exercises

    • Core exercises strengthen your back and abs. Stronger core muscles take some pressure off the spine when using your back for activities such as lifting, as well as simply walking and holding your body up. A gentle but effective exercise is the Pilates 100. Invert yourself, but not fully. Tense your stomach, hold your arms out straight next to your sides, and flutter them continuously as you inhale and exhale for five seconds each, until you reach 100. A more rigorous core exercise is to do full sit-ups on an inversion table that you can lock at any angle of inversion.