Thread: help! does anyone else have problem with lower abs?

I know I need to work on engaging my lower abdominals more, but am getting frustrated as I seem to have alot more trouble connecting with them than just about any other bit of my body

any tips? and could the fact that i had a c section have any influence? ( It was a long time ago, but I do have some residual numbness that never went away...)


has anyone had a similar problem?

Originally Posted by Kaheesha

I know I need to work on engaging my lower abdominals more, but am getting frustrated as I seem to have alot more trouble connecting with them than just about any other bit of my body

any tips? and could the fact that i had a c section have any influence? ( It was a long time ago, but I do have some residual numbness that never went away...)


has anyone had a similar problem?

I've not been able to feel my lower abs in forever (3 c-sections), so I use my lower back as a guide. If my lower abs are engaged, my lower back lengthens, diminishing the arch.

i can feel it in the lower back, so once I got the sensation in my memory, I was able to do it without having to watch myself.

YES!! I think it's the most common issue I see among my students, whether they've had C-sections or not.

I've had two C-sections, though, and I know the exact residual numbness you're talking about. I could poke my lower belly with my finger and feel nothing but a strange buzz in some spots. I don't know for sure if that made it harder -- but I can tell you that it's still possible to gain the control you want.

I suspect what's really hard for people is finding the neural pathway between the brain and the lower abs. We just don't deliberately activate those muscles for much in life besides bellydance.

Patience and trial-and-error are important, of course. Some people benefit from touching the area they want to engage -- poking themselves with a finger or holding a hand on the belly, below the navel, while trying to undulate all the way down, for instance.

Usually we use leg lifts as lower ab work, but those actually use the hip flexors more than the lower rectus abdominus fibers so that kind of lower ab work won't help you much with bellydance. There are a couple of exercises I use with my students:

Do you know how to do a yoga bridge?



Coming down from that bridge, one vertebra at a time like you're setting down a string of pearls and holding the tailbone up until last is a good one. At first you'll find your lower back and hips come down together, but it's possible to build much finer control.

Another exercise I do with my students is standing, pulling your navel to your spine and pulsing the belly in-in-in from that already-in position.

After a while, we try slouching over, hands on thighs, and doing that same pulse. You'll feel this between the navel and ribcage, in the upper abs.

Then try bending your knees, and tucking your hips HARD (remember Steve Urkel?) so your pelvis reaches forward and UP toward your ribs. Now pull the belly in again and pulse-pulse-pulse inward. You should feel this below the navel -- it's difficult, remember to breathe!! This is my favorite for accessing control of the lower abs, but it's difficult to describe in print, I hope this makes sense.

Once you find those muscles, you can practice tightening them any time you're at a red light. Tense them and hold for counts of 8, then 4, then 2, then 1, then go back to 8 again. Holding the tension helps build strength in the muscle, tensing quickly helps develop control.

Thank you so much Lauren, that's brilliant stuff! It's good to know I'm not alone and I can improve this... I'm off to try some of your suggestions now

have no idea who this Urkel bloke is though...am curious to know...

Originally Posted by Kaheesha

have no idea who this Urkel bloke is though...am curious to know...

American sitcom geek character from *ahem* a while back. (80's, maybe?)

He lived the extreme pelvic tilt.

Princess Farhana has an "Absolutely Fabulous" DVd which is very helpfuls for all ab work. It has excercises as well as good explanations for ab work.


Princess Farhana of Hollywood - Belly dancer, teacher


EM

The best advice I got for activating lower abs was to "pull my hipbones together"-obviously that is a visualization but it worked for me. I had not had much luck with my lower abs until I tried squeezing my hip bones together. And for upper abs, you squeeze your rib cage in. Then over and over and over ad nauseum.

My first thought after reading this was the same as Lauren's - yoga bridge.

The whole exercise is good, but if you want to zero in on the lower abs only, try peeling just the lowest part of the spine (to waist level) off the floor and lower it back down, one vertebrae at a time.

Make sure not to use the glutes/hamstrings to assist. Bodies find ways to compensate for what isn't working correctly.

Mahin

Lauren, you're brilliant :) I love reading your posts!

Originally Posted by jamielynn

The best advice I got for activating lower abs was to "pull my hipbones together"-obviously that is a visualization but it worked for me. I had not had much luck with my lower abs until I tried squeezing my hip bones together. And for upper abs, you squeeze your rib cage in. Then over and over and over ad nauseum.

Love it. Have tried it and I can feel the difference!

Gosh Lauren you are a genius! I've been so frustrated with this, and can't work it out as I do lots of yoga and pilates and I know what I should be doing .... I also out it down to having had a c section. Well I just tried your "Urkel" technique and felt the difference straight away. Would you mind if I credit you with this move with my class? I'm sure they will all remember the character!