Posted on 12/18/2004 11:14:11 AM PST by tiamat
I'm still here for a bit--just had to do something for a minute there.
Is yogalates like Yoga combined with Pilates? Sounds interesting. I do some Yoga stretches but have never tried Pilates. Looks like it's good for an ab workout?
Yogalates is yoga combined with pilates. I've done yoga for a long time, but I haven't been to any actual classes in over a year. This video does focus on the abs. So I'm hoping I can tone mine up some. LOL!
Sounds like something that might be useful to add to my routine. I'll have to find more info on that. Is there a book on it?
Probably. I haven't bought any books on it.
Do you work out on a regular basis?
Yeah, I have a regular workout for my Kung Fu training that I've combined with an aerobic workout to save time so I don't have to do separate routines. But the situp part of my routine has gotten too easy for me so I'm looking for something more strenuous. I saw a book on Pilates a while back and it looked interesting. Some of the exercises I do are sort of Pilates-like though not identical.
I have a lot of difficulty with situps. I must not be doing them correctly, because they always strain my neck.
You might be lifting with your neck instead of your stomach. Are you doing crunch-type situps? How do you hold your hands when you do it?
I cross my arms in front of my chest. It hurts more if I put my hands behind my head.
You might test to see if you notice yourself pulling with different muscles when you cross your arms as opposed to putting your hands behind your head. One thing that's important is to let the target muscles guide the movement and let the rest of the body follow as a unit, and the neck should follow in synch with that. If when you put your hands behind your head you're moving your neck independently it might increase the neck strain--this might occur if before the sit-up action you're pulling slightly extra with your upper abs or lifting your head forward with your hands, which will have the effect of pulling your neck forward before your body's main action. Similarly if you're subconsciously leaving your neck slightly inclined forward between reps it will have the effect of keeping your neck in a "stretched" position which might cause strain in the neck and shoulder area. If you put your hands behind your head, your head's weight should rest in your hands with your shoulders relaxed and remain that way as your body moves. Trying to hold your head up by your neck muscles is what usually causes strain. Those are just some general suggestions you might experiment with, without me being able to see what you're doing. You can also try feeling which muscles are doing the work by putting one hand on your abs and checking how it feels different with different types of situps and hand positions.
I will see if any of that helps. I don't know anyone who could watch to see what I'm doing wrong.
Your sense of feel is probably more important than being able to see it, but maybe if you ever work out next to a mirror you could glance and see how you're holding your neck in relation to your body and check how it feels when you hold your neck and hands in different ways. If you do get someone to watch, you could ask them to look to see if it looks like you're "jerking" with your upper body before sitting up, which if you can't see it would feel like there's a motion of your neck and shoulders and upper-body tensing which is slightly out-of-synch with the main motion of your sit-up.
How far you're sitting up can also be a factor. It's possible to sit up farther than you need to, which will extend your neck more than necessary. You might try sitting up slightly less far than usual and see if that affects it.
Hmmm--that's about all I can think of right now. Let me know how that goes when you try it.
I will let you know. Thanks. :-)
So do you have any plans for tomorrow?
Tomorrow, let's see--do the chores I neglected today, LOL! Have a database design I'm working on. I have some library books due the 22nd I'm trying to finish before then, by which time the relatives will have arrived in town. Need to clean a bit before then as well. Wanted to get a drawing done this week. I guess that should be enough for tomorrow, LOL! How about you?
LOL! I have to go into the office for a little while in the morning. Then I have to run to the post office and do a few other errands. Finish cleaning the apartment. Then pack to go visit my parents.
So much to do before the holiday, LOL! I have to mail some letters, too, now that you mention the post offfice. On that note, I think I'd better let you go while I put a dent in some of these chores here. Have a good night and, if I don't talk to you before then, a happy holiday!
Good night, Fedora. Happy holidays to you too!
If I had known that posting on FR would make my house sell faster I would have posted months ago. I pray it sells soon.
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