Ooh, you are not the first person who has asked me this Q, and I’m sorry I forgot to include it in the post! This should get easier over time, but a few things to keep in mind for now:
Keep shoulders away from your ears — think “long neck.” Feel your shoulders anchoring to the floor, opening your chest toward the ceiling.
Use a strong exhale and feel your ribcage closing together and down — like the bottom of your ribs is trying to pull toward your pubic bone. But try not to allow this engagement to change the shape of your spine.
Use your arms to help you anchor: You can either press your hands and triceps firmly into the floor by your sides, OR bring your index fingers and thumbs together to form a little diamond shape, and place this under your hips. You should still be able to wiggle your fingers. Keep your hands there and press your elbows down to help you stabilize as you move.
Make the movement VERY SMALL to start. Sometimes even just practicing holding the tabletop position with your legs can be a really good starting point! When you’re ready, you can move your legs just a few inches forward, then back.
I wish I could figure this stuff out. I struggle to do any such exercise. My abdominals are a mess (big babies, abdominal surgeries) and I always catch myself holding my breath when I need my abs to do something hard.
I don’t think I’ve ever done such exercises “right.” I think I always use my back. Certainly I’ve never experienced any kind of soreness the next day in my abs that would suggest they actually did any work.
I can just feel your frustration! I think you’re on to something with the breath holding, though. Practicing diaphragmatic breath until you really have it down, then gradually adding load, could be the key. Happy to brainstorm more; feel free to DM me!
Question: When I do these it feels like my shoulders want to lift up off the floor and my neck strains. Is that how it should feel?
Ooh, you are not the first person who has asked me this Q, and I’m sorry I forgot to include it in the post! This should get easier over time, but a few things to keep in mind for now:
Keep shoulders away from your ears — think “long neck.” Feel your shoulders anchoring to the floor, opening your chest toward the ceiling.
Use a strong exhale and feel your ribcage closing together and down — like the bottom of your ribs is trying to pull toward your pubic bone. But try not to allow this engagement to change the shape of your spine.
Use your arms to help you anchor: You can either press your hands and triceps firmly into the floor by your sides, OR bring your index fingers and thumbs together to form a little diamond shape, and place this under your hips. You should still be able to wiggle your fingers. Keep your hands there and press your elbows down to help you stabilize as you move.
Make the movement VERY SMALL to start. Sometimes even just practicing holding the tabletop position with your legs can be a really good starting point! When you’re ready, you can move your legs just a few inches forward, then back.
I wish I could figure this stuff out. I struggle to do any such exercise. My abdominals are a mess (big babies, abdominal surgeries) and I always catch myself holding my breath when I need my abs to do something hard.
I don’t think I’ve ever done such exercises “right.” I think I always use my back. Certainly I’ve never experienced any kind of soreness the next day in my abs that would suggest they actually did any work.
I can just feel your frustration! I think you’re on to something with the breath holding, though. Practicing diaphragmatic breath until you really have it down, then gradually adding load, could be the key. Happy to brainstorm more; feel free to DM me!