Sit Ups irritate my Tailbone..

ErinMc2009

So I try to do sit ups and I can but it always bothers my tailbone. They make it rub against the floor and I wind up with a raw patch of skin in a not so comfortable place. (think the way a blister feels after it 'pops' and the skin comes off..) Ya, ouch!

Any ideas on how to avoid that?

ErinMc2009

So I try to do sit ups and I can but it always bothers my tailbone. They make it rub against the floor and I wind up with a raw patch of skin in a not so comfortable place. (think the way a blister feels after it 'pops' and the skin comes off..) Ya, ouch!

Any ideas on how to avoid that?

Tiddle

Nope, but if you figure it out, let me know.... that always happens to my husband, he has a semi permanent raw spot right on his tailbone...

I suggested to put Neosporin or Vaseline on it before doing sit-ups (kind of like how marathon runners put it on places where they get blisters/chafe) but I don’t know if it'll work, he hasn’t tried it yet...

ErinMc2009

well, if he does try it and it works..let me know..

jackeh

Hmmm i get that too but its not my tail bone(i got lots of junk in my trunk to padd that area) but its my lower spine.... like right in the small of my back... i do situps on my bed... hurts less:laugh:

Jiggasb22

Try a Pilates Abs DVD!

TrailRunner

Have you tried to do situps on a mat or better yet a ball?

thejarviclan

That happens to me, too. I quit doing a "sit up" and only do crunches now, lifting my upper body but not enough that it rubs my tailbone. I also do "reverse" crunches, lifting my legs and keeping my torso on the floor.

I agree that the "crunchless" abs can be just as effective, though. I know there are video tapes out there.

Wolfena

Get an aerobic/yoga ball to do your sit-ups on, it'll help lots! (and they seem to work better too!)

yellow_pepper

There is no point in lifting more than your shoulder blades off of the floor when you do "sit-ups" or crunches - in short, any kind of abdominal exercise where you lift your upper body from the floor.

I suggest leaving your lower body still, and think about drawing your lower abs tight against your spine while you lift just your head, shoulders and shoulder blades from the floor, in that order.

See if you can progress from level 1 to level 4:

1) Hands reaching toward knees.
2) Hands crossing chest (like a corpse)
3) Hands cupping shoulders (not crossing chest)
4) Hands cupping shoulders crossed BEHIND the head

And only do as many as you can before you start lifting your tailbone from the floor. If you can't control that anymore, you're not using your abs - you're using momentum.

Tiddle

There is no point in lifting more than your shoulder blades off of the floor when you do "sit-ups" or crunches - in short, any kind of abdominal exercise where you lift your upper body from the floor.

I suggest leaving your lower body still, and think about drawing your lower abs tight against your spine while you lift just your head, shoulders and shoulder blades from the floor, in that order.

See if you can progress from level 1 to level 4:

1) Hands reaching toward knees.
2) Hands crossing chest (like a corpse)
3) Hands cupping shoulders (not crossing chest)
4) Hands cupping shoulders crossed BEHIND the head

And only do as many as you can before you start lifting your tailbone from the floor. If you can't control that anymore, you're not using your abs - you're using momentum.

Can you tell this to the Army?? :flowerforyou: :laugh:

yellow_pepper

Haha... Some routines will never change. A lot of them are designed with only routine in mind.

ErinMc2009

thanks everyone!! Crunches I can do!!! :happy:

rotato1985

There is no point in lifting more than your shoulder blades off of the floor when you do "sit-ups" or crunches - in short, any kind of abdominal exercise where you lift your upper body from the floor.

I suggest leaving your lower body still, and think about drawing your lower abs tight against your spine while you lift just your head, shoulders and shoulder blades from the floor, in that order.

See if you can progress from level 1 to level 4:

1) Hands reaching toward knees.
2) Hands crossing chest (like a corpse)
3) Hands cupping shoulders (not crossing chest)
4) Hands cupping shoulders crossed BEHIND the head

And only do as many as you can before you start lifting your tailbone from the floor. If you can't control that anymore, you're not using your abs - you're using momentum.

Can you tell this to the Army?? :flowerforyou: :laugh:

That is so funny, I was thinking the same thing!

richardaubin76

Try this... put a broom handle on the ground.

Laying next to it so that it goes down your body, try to roll your body over it slowly.

Notice how you body will find the most natural, easiest path (be like water) over the broom handle to get to the other side.

Your tailbone is the same thing as the broom handle. You need to discover a way around it, and not directly over it.

For this to work properly, you need to perform slow situps at first to see when your movement approaches the bony area. You'll notice it by the level of discomfort increasing. If you continue, you'll apply direct pressure against your tailbone or other bony areas against the hard surface which can damage it if not done properly.

For now, practice sending your torso around to the left or to the right around the tailbone. Do this just enough to roll over soft tissue. Once you've cleared the obstacle (tailbone) you can recenter your movement forward and up. The easiest way to get by it is to turn your pelvis towards the direction you want your torso to go.

Going back down is the opposite.

This type of movement get's you from A to Z in the most efficient manner possible, with the least amount of effort. You may want exaggerate the movement at first while maintaining control.

Eventually, with practice you can indirectly go over the tailbone by controlling the tension in your core and in relationship to the rest of your body. Don't forget to breath calmly and smoothly.

Richard.

iKapuniai

Maybe you should consider using a fitness ball for your situps/crunches. It's super comfortable and supports your back. Not only that, but standard situps limit your movement, you can literally only sit up, whereas if you use a fitness ball, you can lay farther back, stretching out your core, thus using more of your core muscles to bring yourself back up, so not only are you getting a better workout, but you aren't hurting yourself in the process. I love my fitness ball!

Or you could just find a super soft mat.

Love and Alohas,
Ihilani Kapuniai

richardaubin76

The best surface to do sit ups on is the hardest one you can find.

Your body quickly learns that incorrect breathing and movement leads to pain. Listen to you body. Move in a way that is comfortable against the real world, not plastic balls nor comfy mats. The real world isn't made that way.

Keep the body soft against hard surfaces and see what's up possible.,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHcO9P7pe4g

Richard.

DogMumbler

When I was in 5th grade I had a PE teacher (from hell) who mocked and humiliated me whenever I attempted sit ups. I simply couldn't do them because it felt as though the floor itself was piercing my tailbone.......of course, 25 years later, I still cant do them. I also have significant back problems, especially in my thoracic region. (multiple herniated discs, etc etc).........
Anyway, my point, is that I am wondering if those who have pain/problems while doing sit ups might also suffer from what my friends and family have always referred to as 'no *kitten* syndrome'.......and when I say no *kitten*, I mean ZERO, NADA, ZIP, ZILCH. To make it clearer, my backside is so flat it's bordering on concave...

DogMumbler

By the by........I have recently started using a piece of memory foam as a mat, with a 3 inch in diameter hole cut right out of the middle of it........keeps the old tailbone off everything.....before the mat, I used 2 large towels, folded up and placed them about 2 inches apart, just enough to allow my tailbone to NOT touch the floor......


There are a millions different things you can try....a doughnut ring, a dining room chair cushion with a hole cut out of it, anything you can think of......

Mr_Excitement

If you have a pullup bar, you can do a lot hanging from the bar. In fact, I think those exercises are the best, personally.

You can hang and slowly raise your straight legs out in front of you, or sort of bring the knees up and rotate over to hit the obliques... you can hold a dumbell between your feet and slowly raise your knees... that sort of thing.

sneaks

You really should not do sit-ups or crunches, they weaken your spine and only serve to reinforce the movements that you do all day that damage your back rather than providing any support.