Can't do side crunches. Advise please.

Seffell
Seffell Posts: 2,244 Member
edited November 20 in Fitness and Exercise
As I couldn't find a good google result for this could you please advise for a less hard exercise to do so that I can eventually manage side crunches. At the moment I can't move even a millimetre from the floor trying side crunches.

Replies

  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,727 Member
    edited August 2017
    What do you mean by side crunches?

    Elbows to knees? or some other exercise?
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    lay on your side with your arm over your head and your head resting on your am - lift just your feet slightly up and down

    you can also do regular crunches in a circular motion which will engage the sides as your torso moves around

    Side planks are also a good option
  • DX2JX2
    DX2JX2 Posts: 1,921 Member
    edited August 2017
    It's likely more of a body positioning thing than a muscle thing. Note that for side crunches, you don't really need a huge range of motion. All you need to do is to engage the muscle and this can be done with very little horizontal movement.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    Side planks are more functional. Single-arm lunges are even more functional. Check youtube for instructions. :+1:
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
    Use your other arm to help you push up slightly until you can manage it without using that arm. Could take a while. Side planks are also good, they will work the opposite side of your abs. If you can't do those, you can start by doing those resting on your knees instead of your feet. There are tons of ways to modify the exercises to get started. As other posters suggested, it doesn't have to be a huge range of motion, all you want to do is engage your obliques.

    Another exercise that may help you work up to it, is laying on your back, raise your knees up and your legs, then, holding your knees together, swing your knees left to the floor, then right to the floor. These are called 'wipers'. If that's too hard, keep your feet on the floor at first and do as many as you can left to right, right to left. Make sure you use your ab muscles for the motion, so go slowly if you need to do so. Don't just swing your knees left and right using your hips and the weight of your legs.
  • jennybearlv
    jennybearlv Posts: 1,519 Member
    Do side bends. Stand up, lean to the side, come back up, repeat. Hold a weight to make it more challenging.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    Do you have access to dumbbells? You can do dumbbell side bends.

    Do you have access to resistance bands? You can do anti-rotational (Paloff) presses.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Single dumbbell side bends.
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,244 Member
    Thank you everyone, very helpful. Yes, I have dumbbell access and I'll definitely be starting the side bends tomorrow. I will be mixing them with the other suggestions.

    Also I agree @DX2JX2 that I might not be doing the crunches entirely properly.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    edited August 2017
    GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »
    Do you have access to dumbbells? You can do dumbbell side bends.

    Do you have access to resistance bands? You can do anti-rotational (Paloff) presses.

    A highly underrated/underappreciated exercise.
  • capaul42
    capaul42 Posts: 1,390 Member
    Dumbbell side bends and side planks are my go to's
This discussion has been closed.

Categories