Every credible review of the FeetUp Trainer names who it is not for, and we would rather you read this page before buying than discover it after. Below, condition by condition, is what the research says about inverting, what the medical bodies advise, and what to ask your doctor. Nothing here is medical advice for you personally; it is the information to take to someone who can give you that.
Can you do headstands with glaucoma or other eye conditions?
Not without an ophthalmologist's explicit approval, and most will say no. A study of 75 experienced yoga practitioners in Ophthalmology found intraocular pressure roughly doubled during headstand (a mean rise of about 15 mmHg) and stayed elevated for the whole hold, in every age group (Baskaran et al. 2006). Even mild head-down poses do it: in a Mount Sinai study, downward-facing dog raised eye pressure by about 12 mmHg, around 75%, within a minute, in both glaucoma patients and healthy eyes, returning to baseline about two minutes after sitting up (Jasien et al. 2015). A case report documented progressive glaucoma damage over two years in a patient who practised headstand daily (Gallardo et al. 2006).
The Glaucoma Research Foundation advises people with glaucoma to avoid headstands and head-down positions, or at minimum keep them very short and tell their teacher. The American Academy of Ophthalmology says any position with the head below the body can raise eye pressure in glaucoma and that the safest approach is to avoid inversions altogether, while noting that evidence of actual harm from brief holds is not yet clear. This applies on the FeetUp Trainer exactly as it does without it: the head is still below the heart. Recent eye surgery, retinal conditions and severe myopia belong in the same conversation with your eye doctor.
Can you invert with high blood pressure or a heart condition?
Only with a doctor's approval, and usually only if the condition is well controlled. A UCLA study of 20 healthy men found full inversion significantly raised heart rate and both systolic and diastolic blood pressure while reducing cardiac output, and the authors suggested inversion may be contraindicated in cardiovascular disease (Heng et al. 1992). A two-minute headstand produces signs of sympathetic nervous activation whether or not a wall is used (Manjunath & Telles 2003), and three minutes on an inversion table significantly changed markers of intracranial pressure and cerebral blood flow (Kondrashova et al. 2019). Harvard Health's guidance is that people with high blood pressure should be cautious about poses that place the heart higher than the head, even though regular yoga practice may lower blood pressure overall.
If your doctor clears you, start with the feet-on-the-floor shapes, keep holds to 20 seconds, never hold your breath, and come down at the first sign of pounding in the head or ears. Stroke history, aneurysm, recent cardiac events, and blood-thinning medication each deserve their own question to your cardiologist.
Is it safe to do headstands during pregnancy?
There is no obstetric authority that specifically clears headstands in pregnancy, and the one rigorous study of yoga postures in late pregnancy deliberately left them out. That study (Polis, Gussman & Kuo, Obstetrics & Gynecology 2015) monitored 25 women at 35–37 weeks through 26 postures, including downward dog and legs-up-the-wall, with continuous fetal heart-rate monitoring, and found all 26 well tolerated. Headstand, shoulderstand and handstand were not among them, excluded because of the risk of falls.
That matches the general guidance. ACOG (the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) says exercise in an uncomplicated pregnancy is safe and desirable, but advises avoiding lying flat on the back, hot yoga, and activities with a high risk of falling, because the extra weight at the front shifts the centre of gravity and makes you less stable. The NHS says the same about fall risk. A supported inversion on the Trainer puts no load on the belly or the neck, but it is still a balance task with the body inverted, so our position is simple: if you are pregnant, ask your midwife or obstetrician first, and if you were not already inverting before pregnancy, this is not the time to start. Feet-on-the-floor shapes such as supported child's pose remain available with their approval.
Which other conditions need a doctor's approval before inverting?
| Condition | Why inversion matters | Evidence / guidance |
|---|---|---|
| Cervical spine conditions (disc herniation, stenosis, previous neck injury or surgery) | Classic headstand loads the head with 40–48% of body weight; a fall or hyperextension can injure the cord or arteries even on a supported prop | Hector & Jensen 2015; Nayar et al. 2022 |
| Osteoporosis / osteopenia | Shoulder loading and any fall carry fracture risk; a Mayo Clinic series linked yoga flexion poses to vertebral fractures in older adults with low bone density | Sfeir et al. 2018 |
| Scoliosis, existing lumbar disc herniation | Headstand flattens the lower-back curve and increases sideways mid-spine deviation | Campos et al. 2017 |
| Recent Botox, breast implants or breast surgery | Pressure and position changes stress healing tissue and can displace product | FeetUp manual; your surgeon's timeline |
| Vertigo, inner-ear disorders, hiatal hernia, acid reflux | Symptoms are typically worse inverted; nausea and dizziness are reported | Clinical common sense; ask first |
| Any acute illness, fever or infection | Extra cardiovascular load on a stressed body | FeetUp manual: wait until recovered |
What does the FeetUp Trainer change, and what does it not change?
It changes the mechanics. On the FeetUp Trainer the shoulders carry the body on a padded cushion, the head hangs free, and the hands hold a frame tested to 900 kg, so cervical compression is zero and the entry is slow and controlled rather than a kick-up. For a healthy person that removes the main orthopaedic risk of headstand, which is why we built it.
It does not change the physiology. Head below heart means higher eye pressure and altered blood pressure, whatever is holding you up. That is why the Trainer's manual lists the same conditions as every reputable yoga teacher: pregnancy, high blood pressure, eye disease including glaucoma, recent Botox or breast implants, and any illness that puts extra stress on the body. If one of those is you, get approval from your healthcare professional before using a Trainer, and if the answer is no, please do not buy one. We mean that.
What should I ask my doctor?
Describe the activity precisely: "a supported inversion where body weight rests on my shoulders, the head hangs free with no load on the neck, the feet stay on the floor until I choose to lift them, and holds are 20 seconds to 2 minutes." Then ask:
- Is there anything about my eyes, blood pressure, heart or bones that rules out head-below-heart positions?
- If not, is there a maximum hold time I should stay under?
- Do any of my medications make head-down positions or sudden posture changes a bad idea?
Our two-minute FeetUp quiz asks about these conditions up front and, if one applies, sends you a one-page sheet for that appointment instead of a sales pitch. Your health answers are never stored or linked to an order.
What are the warning signs to stop immediately?
- Pain or tingling in the neck, arms or hands.
- Visual changes: blurring, shadowing, flashes.
- Pounding in the head or ears that does not ease when you breathe.
- Dizziness that persists after you come down, or nausea.
- Any symptom that is new since you started inverting. Describe it to a doctor before you go back up.
Red eyes or a flushed face in the first week are usually breath-holding, not the inversion; slow down and breathe. Everything else on that list is a reason to stop and ask.
If none of the above applies to you and your doctor has no concerns, the FeetUp 101 guide is the place to start, and the Trainer comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee if inverting turns out not to be for you.
Frequently asked questions
Can you do a headstand with glaucoma?
Not without an ophthalmologist's approval. Eye pressure roughly doubles during headstand and rises within a minute even in downward dog; the Glaucoma Research Foundation and the American Academy of Ophthalmology advise avoiding head-down positions.
Is it safe to do headstands with high blood pressure?
Only with a doctor's approval and a well-controlled condition. Inversion raises heart rate and blood pressure while reducing cardiac output; start with feet-on-the-floor shapes and 20-second holds if cleared.
Can I do inversions while pregnant?
Ask your midwife or obstetrician first. The one rigorous study of yoga in late pregnancy excluded headstands for fall risk, and ACOG advises avoiding activities with a high risk of falling. Do not start inverting during pregnancy if you were not already doing it.
Does the FeetUp Trainer make inversions safe for these conditions?
No. It removes the load from the neck, but the head is still below the heart, so eye pressure and blood pressure still change. The same medical cautions apply with the Trainer as without it.
What symptoms mean I should stop inverting?
Neck pain or tingling in the hands, visual changes, pounding in the head that does not ease with breathing, persistent dizziness or nausea. Stop, come down slowly and describe the symptom to a doctor before inverting again.
Last updated 2026-11-04. Written by the FeetUp Team; facts checked against the FeetUp product manual, the live product specification and the sources linked in the text.
