Help with situps please

mosaix
mosaix Posts: 87 Member
edited September 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
Maybe it's just because I am totally unfit & have a rather large tum, or because I am unable to do sit ups, but whenever I do them I get pains in my back & my neck... which i assume i shouldnt.

any advice? tried watching some youtube vids, but they were cack to be honest :)

Cheers guys :)

Replies

  • myshell67
    myshell67 Posts: 64 Member
    where do you have your arms positioned at? don't wrap your hands around your head, and force yourself up that way, cause that could cause pains. i keep my arms down at my sides and my feet tucked under the couch. start with 4 reps of 5-10 situps, and gradually increase the number. good luck!
  • Shanzstar
    Shanzstar Posts: 197 Member
    my advice would be to start off slow. do crunches and just go up as far as you can. make sure you breathe in when u lower and exhale your whole breath out at the top then release and give yourself a pause. just take your time. when your back hurts stop. soon you'll build those muscles. another good one is laying on your back arms along your side with palms down. put your legs up in the air and then bend at the knee slightly. roll your but up in the air. you'll be using ur bottom ab muscles thats a good one and not too hard on the body. remember to breathe and stop when your back hurts. hope this helps. I had two large babies and had a HUGE stomach it took awhile b4 i could do them with no problem.
  • Tree72
    Tree72 Posts: 942 Member
    I used to always get neck aches and headaches when trying to do sit ups too. I found that doing crunches rather than full out sit ups helped. My abs just weren't strong enough to pull me all the way up without me compensating and straining something else. So, my advice would be to take it slow and concentrate on tightening your abs and using them to pull your shoulder blades off the ground. Don't focus on lifting your head (your head will come off the ground, but don't strain and push) or trying to sit all the way up. You may not be able to move more than a few inches, but if you keep it up you will see improvement over time.

    Another option would be to do some leg lifts which will help strengthen the abs, especially the lower ones. Just be sure to keep your back flat or you could end up with a backache from those too.
  • rea1980
    rea1980 Posts: 93 Member
    Try using some type of Ab Roller. they really help with keeping your body in corrrect form. Anytime you are ddoing crunches and you experince pain in your neck or back it is a sign your form is not right and you could be doing more harm than good.
  • mosaix
    mosaix Posts: 87 Member
    thanks guys.

    I'm gonna see if i can get hold of an ab roller too.
  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
    Don't grab your head or neck with your hands. And your lower back should always be on the floor. You don't need to sit all the way up to do a crunch. You just need to get your shoulder blades off the ground.
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