Thread: Tummy flutters?

Alright, Folks!

Whay exactly are the mechanics behind the tummy flutter? How do you actually create the effect? What muscles are you tapping into? Any thoughts on how to train yourself to do them?

I would love any input that you may have!!! Thanks!!! ..g.:..g.:..g.:

Well, the way I learned how to do it was like panting. You will use the top two muscles from the six pack. Pretend you are panting like a dog, you will contract (like sucking the air our of your lungs and then expand) start slow and then make it fast. Hope this helps and happy panting.

I love these! I think its different for everyone...but if you imagine overly emphazing "hahahaha" the sharp ha should push out your diahphragm and cause a sharp pop in your upper abs. Stop it immediately...basically try to "vibrate" Hahahah...but without your mouth being wide open!!! (o: I try to keep my lower abs very loose. But, yes...it is alot like panting! (o:

Originally Posted by Shaharazad

Well, the way I learned how to do it was like panting. You will use the top two muscles from the six pack. Pretend you are panting like a dog, you will contract (like sucking the air our of your lungs and then expand) start slow and then make it fast. Hope this helps and happy panting.

Originally Posted by Nashid

I love these! I think its different for everyone...but if you imagine overly emphazing "hahahaha" the sharp ha should push out your diahphragm and cause a sharp pop in your upper abs. Stop it immediately...basically try to "vibrate" Hahahah...but without your mouth being wide open!!! (o: I try to keep my lower abs very loose. But, yes...it is alot like panting! (o:

Thanks so much! I think the descriptions here make it completely clear!

Do you need to start at full speed and do only a few, working or your way up to adding more or do you start slow, getting more in from the beginning? Am i making any sense at all? I think i need more coffee.....l;,

I never got the panting thing, I actually teach my dancers to push hard on their diaphragm and force it out, or lay on the ground and put something weighted on it and practice pushing it up sharply, like you are trying to toss it in the air, it's sort of like weight lifting for this muscle. I also hold my breath when I am doing the flutter.

Originally Posted by jengal55

Thanks so much! I think the descriptions here make it completely clear!

Do you need to start at full speed and do only a few, working or your way up to adding more or do you start slow, getting more in from the beginning? Am i making any sense at all? I think i need more coffee.....l;,

My opinion, start slow and then work you way to a fast panting, don't forget, always smile while doing this.

Originally Posted by jengal55

Thanks so much! I think the descriptions here make it completely clear!

Do you need to start at full speed and do only a few, working or your way up to adding more or do you start slow, getting more in from the beginning? Am i making any sense at all? I think i need more coffee.....l;,

My opinion, start slow and then work you way to a fast panting, don't forget, always smile while doing this.

I think the panting helps to learn it initially, but eventually you learn how the muscles feel and teach yourself to "pant" without actually breathing. I don't breathe when I flutter although I'm working on being able to breathe normally while still working that muscle ... it might be impossible but I can try! :) Good luck!

Originally Posted by Shaharazad

My opinion, start slow and then work you way to a fast panting, don't forget, always smile while doing this.

Originally Posted by Aradia

I never got the panting thing, I actually teach my dancers to push hard on their diaphragm and force it out, or lay on the ground and put something weighted on it and practice pushing it up sharply, like you are trying to toss it in the air, it's sort of like weight lifting for this muscle. I also hold my breath when I am doing the flutter.

Originally Posted by eve_adelfi

I think the panting helps to learn it initially, but eventually you learn how the muscles feel and teach yourself to "pant" without actually breathing. I don't breathe when I flutter although I'm working on being able to breathe normally while still working that muscle ... it might be impossible but I can try! :) Good luck!

Thanks so much for all of the advice...fast panting with a smile- that made me giggle! I might try a combo of these methods. I think the hard part for me is trying to locate those muscles that do the work...

Originally Posted by jengal55

Thanks so much for all of the advice...fast panting with a smile- that made me giggle! I might try a combo of these methods. I think the hard part for me is trying to locate those muscles that do the work...

Bend forward from the waist. Take a few deep breaths in and out, but not from your chest - lower. Feel that? That's it (your diaphragm). ..g.:

I myself was just told to learn it and some of the advice I got was to really stand up tall and lift your chest when practicing and doing it..

Good luck to the both of us I guess ..g.:

B

hm. I like the idea of panting but just thinking about it makes me dizzy!! ..l;, Any tips to prevent that or is it good old fashioned practice?
I was taught to hold my breath and then activate the diaphragm to get the flutter going....Is that wrong or just another way to do it?

Originally Posted by taobellydancer

hm. I like the idea of panting but just thinking about it makes me dizzy!! ..l;, Any tips to prevent that or is it good old fashioned practice?
I was taught to hold my breath and then activate the diaphragm to get the flutter going....Is that wrong or just another way to do it?

That's how I do it. I think the panting thing is just to get you started and identify the muscle used.

I like the reminder to keep smiling so that it's not obvious that you're holding your breath.,r:;

Originally Posted by rakkasah_barbara

I myself was just told to learn it and some of the advice I got was to really stand up tall and lift your chest when practicing and doing it..

Good luck to the both of us I guess ..g.:

B

For some reason, bending forward from the waist helps the muscle relax and makes it easier to do the flutter. It's just another way to get started. When actually doing it, stand up tall and lift.

p.s. I should talk. I can do it but I'm not great at it.

if you hold your breath and pant...you might pass out!

Thanks so much for all of the advice! I gave it my first go last night, and mid-practice, my husband walked by, looked at me quizzically, and asked what I was doing. I explained, and he said "Oh, like this" proceeding to do an excellent series of tummy flutters.

Argh! Men! But at least, I look better in the costumes! HA!!!

Originally Posted by yaalini

if you hold your breath and pant...you might pass out!

Depends on how long you plan on fluttering. ..g.:

I have my students practice the "panting" exercise but only after taking several decent breaths in preparation, panting for 5 or 6 seconds, then breathing normal again for a minute. It's slow going, but I want to instill in them the need to practice everything safely (and not have them pass out on me). I start them really slow with a "ha, ha, ha, ha" focus (a very slight pause between "ha's") to get them to learn their diaphragm and how to use it. I usually have them place their finger tips over their solar plexus when doing this and have them press in very lightly so they can feel it (helps them to focus). Then we progress to the quicker panting that would be more like ha-ha-ha-ha-ha (with little to no pause). This generates the downward push of the diaphragm. Then to truly move into flutter, it has to turn into the very rapid snuffle that a dog would do when it smells something really intriguing (breath goes in and out very fast, very shallow). This is important because you can't just focus on the downward push of the diaphragm to make a really juicy flutter. The upper abs also need to relax a little (to be able to jiggle so nicely).

Originally Posted by jengal55

Thanks so much for all of the advice! I gave it my first go last night, and mid-practice, my husband walked by, looked at me quizzically, and asked what I was doing. I explained, and he said "Oh, like this" proceeding to do an excellent series of tummy flutters.

Argh! Men! But at least, I look better in the costumes! HA!!!

i know a dancer who could do flutters the first time she tried! but she had trouble with belly rolls... so we were jealous of eachother!..l;,

My instructor says to pant, but it doesn't work for me.
I don't like breathing in and out fast like that.
Personally, I think this method wastes time, or makes the 'flutter' too slow.

I take in a deep breath, and slowly exhale, 'catching', or 'stopping' my breath in my throat. Similar to the Ha Ha Ha, but I stop the breath in my lower throat.

When I do this, I can feel my diapram pushing up, then I try to just keep that flutter going, and still manage to take shallow breaths when I need too.

When you're in the bathtub, lie back, and make the water ripple too!

I've also used the method Aradia's mentioned it's a good one to.
I practiced it lying down with a paperback book on my upper stomach.

Just a note: For tummy rolls, I practiced with a roll of quarters, and in the bath tub too.
In the tub you can SEE the difference in the ripples from a tummy flutter, and a belly roll.

Back to topic :-)

I breathe out completely to start, then breathe in slowly as I flutter. I think it can feel sorta like a pant because of the glottal stop that often happens if you dont' keep the back of your throat open all the way.

Deborah

This is how I teach this too. :)

Originally Posted by Aradia

I never got the panting thing, I actually teach my dancers to push hard on their diaphragm and force it out, or lay on the ground and put something weighted on it and practice pushing it up sharply, like you are trying to toss it in the air, it's sort of like weight lifting for this muscle. I also hold my breath when I am doing the flutter.

I hold my breath when I flutter.

There are a couple of different techniques for flutters.

One is to take a deep breath and then let it out in tiny bursts. That should be attractive to those people who fear they might get dizzy from panting.

The other is panting.

To locate the muscle, the diaphragm, do this: Stand up. Bend forward and place your hands on your knees letting them hold a bit of your upper body weight. Take a deep breath, let it out slowly. Take another deep breath and let it out ALL THE WAY. Now, with your lungs completely empty of air, suck in your gut - visualize trying to suck your belly button up into your throat. You'll feel the diaphragm lifting upward into the lung cavity. Hold this position until you feel the need to breathe, then release your abdomen and breathe normally.

If you repeat the exercise I described in the above paragraph 4-5 times a day, every day, you'll build strength and control in your diaphragm. That strength/control will help with flutters.

Once you've started feeling your diaphragm with the above exercise, here's another thing you can do to continue linking your brain to your diaphragm:

When you're behind the steering wheel of a car OR hunching forward over a desk using a computer, think about pulling your navel upward. In this case, don't bother with the breathing exercise, just pull the navel upward with your muscles. You should be able to feel the diaphragm engage.

Here's how I teach my students to flutter:

1. Take a deep breath.

2. Let loose with a rip-roaring laugh, the kind that makes your whole belly bounce with it. Maintain that rolling laugh until you absolutely must take another breath.

3. Repeat 1 & 2 a bunch of times. ..l;,..l;,..l;,..l;,..l;,..l;,..l;,..l;,

It's pretty funny when I have a whole class of students doing this. On the first laugh, it's forced and everyone feels self-conscious. But then I make them do it several times more, until we're at the point where everyone feels so silly that the laughter is real. At the same time we're doing this, I coach them to pay attention to the sensation they are feeling in the muscle at the base of the rib cage.

The laughter approach is a lot more fun than panting. Of course, the limitation is that your flutter lasts only as long as you can hold your breath, but with practice you can learn to hold your breath longer.

Originally Posted by jengal55

Thanks so much for all of the advice! I gave it my first go last night, and mid-practice, my husband walked by, looked at me quizzically, and asked what I was doing. I explained, and he said "Oh, like this" proceeding to do an excellent series of tummy flutters.

Hubbies can be so inconvenient at times, can't they? ..g.: When I was having trouble learning to roll my stomach the beast often taunted me with his own beautiful rolls. Harrumph!

We should ask Sadie how she is doing her flatters :-). Do you know Sadie`s flatters?-The best i´ve ever seen till now. There are some videoclips of her on youtube...