[jebba]

I have this pilates dvd that includes a section for abs. There are some exercies that I can't do at all, no matter how hard I try. I suspect part of it is b/c of the pregnancy. But I'm wondering how to get the strength to be able to do them.<br><br>
One she calls the "rollover" where you lie flat on your back and, using abdominal muscles, roll your legs up and over your head. Another she calls the "teaser" where you sit up in a V balancing on your tailbone and reach your arms to your toes.<br><br>
I am wondering if there are modifications to these exercises? If I keep doing crunches and reverse crunches, will I get the strength to do these things? I'm kind of embarassed that I can't do them.

 

[sistergoldenhair]

jebba, I see this all the time with post-partum women as well as plain old deconditioned people in my classes! Your muscles got so stretched out with pregnancy that it takes a bit of time to regain their elasticity and the ability to contract them fully. But you will! Pilates will help a lot.<br><br>
I'm out the door, but when I get a little time later I'll post detailed instructions for modified Rollover and modified Teaser.

 

[sistergoldenhair]

Thanks for your patience, jebba! Here are a few more specifics about those exercises:<br><br><b>Modified Rollover</b> (or "Rollover Prep"<img alt="wink.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/wink.gif"><br><br>
Lie on your back with your legs extended over your hips. Legs should be as long as you can make them, but slightly bend the knees if you have hamstring tightness. Pull your belly button toward the floor, and focus on the area between your belly button and pubic bone -- imagine it like a wide belt. Inhale, contract the muscles as if you were cinching the belt a hole or two, and let the action of pulling the hips toward the ribs levitate your hips and tailbone off the mat. (Even if you do not achieve liftoff yet, keep practicing and eventually you will.) Pause to float for a brief moment, then exhale and use your abdominals as a brake to roll back to the mat one vertebrae at a time.<br><br>
Once you progress to Rollover, it doesn't matter how high or far over your head you can take your legs. Focus more on strongly lifting up and smoothly rolling down in a controlled way.<br><br><b>Modified Teaser</b><br><br>
Teaser is modified by changing the leg position. Legs can either be bent with feet flat on the mat and pressing together as if the inner legs were crazy glued, or lifted over the hips at a 90 degree angle and still squeezing together. If you do the version with feet on the floor, experiment to find the foot placement relative to your bottom where it feels more effortless to lift your torso and upper body (for me this is when my feet are farther from my butt).<br><br>
Breathing is also really helpful in Teaser; think of letting the inhalation launch you up into flight, and exhalation is where you put your "brakes" on and control the roll down through the spine.<br><br>
You can also start from sitting and shift your balance back to lift one foot at a time to 90 degrees. Holding that position will help strengthen the torso to hold Teaser.<br><br>
Teasers are weird to me. When I do them the first one is always so hard, but then my body sort of gets used to the movement and the progressive one is easier.<br><br>
This is probably much more than you wanted to know, but let me know if you have any other questions!

 

[jebba]

Oh, thank you, thank you! This is great help.