Tom Jones health: Singer says he hangs upside down to help his lower back – ‘It’s great’

Tom Jones on going to therapy after wife Linda's death

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Tom Jones was forced to cancel dates due to a bacterial infection back in 2018. Since then he’s been prioritising his health, hanging in a “contraption” first thing in the morning and taking a variety of vitamin supplements.

Quizzed about his diet and fitness regime by Jo Whiley on her BBC Radio 2 show he revealed his morning routine: “First of all, I hang upside down – I’ve got this contraption that you strap your ankles in and you go upside down.

“So I hang there first for at least two or three minutes.

“I bought it originally because I was having a little trouble with my lower back. So my doctor said you need to stretch your spine.”

He continued: “But it’s great, the blood rushes to your head – it’s fantastic.”

The ‘I’ll Never Fall In Love Again’ star then moves on to stretching

“I get on the floor and do a lot of stretching, and push ups, crunches, and I’ve got a bike, which I do later on in the day.

“In the bedroom I have a stationary bike. I get on there for 30 minutes to get the heart rate up. But I don’t do that until the afternoon.”

And there are three vitamins key in his diet – a multivitamin, vitamin D and vitamin C.

He added: “I take a blood thinner because when you get older your blood gets pretty thick.

“But that’s all the medication I take.”

Back pain is very common and usually improves within a few weeks or months.

The NHS recommends some ways to relieve back pain and to speed up your recovery:

• stay as active as possible and try to continue your daily activities – this is 1 of the most important things you can do, as resting for long periods is likely to make the pain worse
• try exercises and stretches for back pain; other activities such as walking, swimming, yoga and pilates may also be helpful
• take anti-inflammatory painkillers, such as ibuprofen – remember to check the medicine is safe for you to take and ask a pharmacist if you’re not sure
• use hot or cold compression packs for short-term relief – you can buy these from a pharmacy, or a hot water bottle or a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a cloth or towel will work just as well

Hanging upside down, or inversion therapy, is a form of physical therapy that may help with back pain.

The goal is to hang upside down and stretch out the spine.

But scientific research is mixed on the efficacy of it.

The NHS also offers advice on the best exercise for staying healthy.

It says adults should:

• aim to be physically active every day. Any activity is better than none, and more is better still
• do strengthening activities that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms) on at least 2 days a week
• do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week
• reduce time spent sitting or lying down and break up long periods of not moving with some activity.

Most people don’t need to take vitamin supplements and can get all the vitamins and minerals they need by eating a healthy, balanced diet.

The Department of Health and Social Care recommends certain supplements for some groups of people who are at risk of deficiency.

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