HELP! coccyx bone / crunches issues

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HMD7703
HMD7703 Posts: 761 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
When I do crunches/situps or any exercise that requires me to lay on my back, my coccyx bone (tail) hurts and some times pokes through the skin, making me bleed. (There is no fat over the bump at all anymore; just a thin layer of skin.) I had gained some weight and there was plenty of padding to protect me during sit ups. Now that I have lost a ton of weight, it is worse than ever. I can feel the HUGE coccyx bone / tail / bump thing. Dare I do sit ups - not a chance. BTW I don't belong to a gym, so using the sitting ab machine is out.

Are there any ab / ob moves I can do at home that won't make my coccyx bleed / hurt ?!?!

What about moves to build up the butt?!? Maybe that would cushion the bone more.


Thanks!
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Replies

  • rileamoyer
    rileamoyer Posts: 2,411 Member
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    Do you have a nice pad to lay on? I did not like the thin ones at the stores so made my own out of egg carton foam. Reverse sit ups might help too, lay on your back and lift up legs hips.
  • HMD7703
    HMD7703 Posts: 761 Member
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    Even if I use a pad while doing crunches, it bleeds. It hurts very bad and then I cant do crunches for days.

    I will try the reverse sit up. Never heard of them!!! Thanks
  • Elisirmon
    Elisirmon Posts: 273 Member
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    I have the same issue I been seeing a chiropractor for 8mnths and my coccyx bone still comes out of place. Have you been doing any stretches that pull on your muscles in lower back? Best way to work tummy is leg lifts and bicycles they have less pressure on the tailbone.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,971 Member
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    How about doing them on an exercise ball?
  • kmbrooks15
    kmbrooks15 Posts: 941 Member
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    I had a herniated disk at L5/S1 (just above the tailbone) that required surgery. I have to do my crunches on an exercise ball. It relieves the pressure and helps isolate my lower abs better than doing them on the floor.
  • jennajava
    jennajava Posts: 2,176 Member
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    Yikes! I used to do crunches when I weighed 95 lbs. in high school (yeah, I was one of those) and that NEVER happened to me. I was a bag of bones, too, I promise you. Please go see a doctor! Something could be seriously wrong!
  • HMD7703
    HMD7703 Posts: 761 Member
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    How about doing them on an exercise ball?

    Never tried it, but I have seen people on tv use them. This is a great idea - I should have thought of it :)
  • midwifekelley2350
    midwifekelley2350 Posts: 337 Member
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    reverse crunches
    crunches but not full sit ups
    ball crunches (get an exercise ball to sit on)
    planks
    leg raises


    ps...i broke my tailbone when i had my first baby and mine bothers me sometimes too. the chiropractor can help sometimes
  • lizsmith1976
    lizsmith1976 Posts: 497 Member
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    The reverse crunch and stability ball suggestions are good ones. Good exercise for abs/obliques/entire core are the plank ones. Hold the plank pose, lift and lower in it (keep abs tight the whole time), and also "suicide planks", which is where you start in plank, then lower onto left forearm with right arm still extended, then lower onto right forearm also, then extend left arm again. Killer workout for arms and shoulders as well.

    Seriously though, you may have fallen and injured that bone, please see a doctor. Or you could have some other thing that is causing your blood to be too thin. The bleeding especially does not sound normal, no matter how small you are.
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
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    Do exercises that will strengthen your transverse abdominals. They are the deepest layer of muscle and are responsible for holding in your organs. Tighten those will make your stomach flatter. You can do a Google search to find all sort of exercises, mainly aimed at postpartum women. You can also do Pilates workouts, since that focuses on strengthening those muscles as well.
  • HMD7703
    HMD7703 Posts: 761 Member
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    The reverse crunch and stability ball suggestions are good ones. Good exercise for abs/obliques/entire core are the plank ones. Hold the plank pose, lift and lower in it (keep abs tight the whole time), and also "suicide planks", which is where you start in plank, then lower onto left forearm with right arm still extended, then lower onto right forearm also, then extend left arm again. Killer workout for arms and shoulders as well.

    Seriously though, you may have fallen and injured that bone, please see a doctor. Or you could have some other thing that is causing your blood to be too thin. The bleeding especially does not sound normal, no matter how small you are.

    Planks are freaking hard! LOL Might be worth a try again though.

    As for seeing a Dr... I have.. I was in the Army for 4 years, seen the DR many a time and there was nothing they could do about it (then or now). We HAD to do sit ups for PT. After about a year they finally gave me a profile and said NO MORE SIT UPs (or crunches). There is nothing wrong, except my tail bone sticks out more than others. Losing weight has made it very prominent though, as now I have no butt either. There is simply no padding + my tail bone sticking out more than normal = the bleeding and pain.

    Thanks!
  • Panda86
    Panda86 Posts: 873
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    I would look for some standing ab exercises- crunches aren't as effective as everyone thinks, anyway, since they only target one muscle group. You will be farther ahead finding standing ab work or ab exercises on a ball, plus it won't hurt your back/tail bone. Hope that helps!
  • Elisirmon
    Elisirmon Posts: 273 Member
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    Also you need to see the doctor if it cutting thru the skin you may have to have surgery to fix it.
  • RobinMAshby
    RobinMAshby Posts: 5 Member
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    You could use a padded foot stool, in a similar way that you would use a ball. I use one just because the floor hurts my back in general when I do sit ups.
  • HMD7703
    HMD7703 Posts: 761 Member
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    Do exercises that will strengthen your transverse abdominals. They are the deepest layer of muscle and are responsible for holding in your organs. Tighten those will make your stomach flatter. You can do a Google search to find all sort of exercises, mainly aimed at postpartum women. You can also do Pilates workouts, since that focuses on strengthening those muscles as well.

    Never heard this before!! Very good information.

    Thanks!
  • techgeeksquared
    techgeeksquared Posts: 30 Member
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    Hi there. Kickboxing will help. Also if you can find a chair with arms....hold yourself up and pull you legs into your belly. Also try an exercise ball and hold yourself up off the ground using your booty. **squeeze** **squeeze**

    You can also try standing crunches. Below I have provided you with a link to instructions and a video. **For resistance add a resistance band or hold a weight.
    **squeeze** **squeeze** **squeeze**
    http://www.ehow.com/how_2191109_do-standing-abs-workout.html

    http://youtu.be/Ys-GSFaNTwc
    http://youtu.be/4Vd4AoebNmg
  • michedarnd
    michedarnd Posts: 207 Member
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    Here's a link that might help: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/standing-ab-workout
  • fiberartist219
    fiberartist219 Posts: 1,865 Member
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    If you want more muscle on your backside, hip raises are good. (I'm not sure if this is the same as the reverse sit up or not.) It is where you lie on your back with your knees bent. Then, you lift up your hips so your body is mostly straight from your knees to your head. If you really want to feel the burn, stick one leg out straight and only use your other leg to lift yourself up.

    I agree that the plank is probably better than doing crunches anyway. It is really hard, but sometimes that's a good thing.
  • helenkampf
    helenkampf Posts: 1
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    Hi there,
    The coccyx bone is easily injured since it has little protection. Perhaps you have fallen or been in an accident sometime and have hurt yourself unknowingly. Please go see an osteopath. They will perform manual investigation of the area to verify whether there is an injury. Sometimes scar tissue prevents the bone from properly moving back and forth. The scar tissue causes immobility, inflexibility and pain. The osteopath will manipulate the scar tissue to encourage natural healing, much in the same way a massage therapist will work out the knot in a muscle.
  • eclcarm
    eclcarm Posts: 1 Member
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    I have this same problem.....all of my life! Thanks for posing the question. I'm going to try some of the suggestions, too.

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