Push ups

[RUFNTUFGIRL]

All of a sudden I cannot stay on my toes for my push ups. I have to let my knees down. My back won't let me stay in position. I have no idea why this is happenning. I have been working a little OT, could that be it?
Lee

[viper]

please clairfy is it a lower back pain or ur muscles giv up if so nothing a bit of strength training wont fix and a trip to a massuse good excuse to hahahaha.

[BruceSteveRoy]

i know i was having a bit of pain doing pushups on my toes for a while too. the pain was in my sacrum near my tail bone. What i did for this was a very simple stretch that made it go away in a couple days. you sit on the floor with your legs spread out as far as they go andyour toes pointed toward the ceiling. you lean to your left and grab your left foor with your left hand then reach over your head and grab your left foot with your right hand (if you can stretch that far if not just stretch as far as you can). when you are doing this twist your head and shoulders slightly so that you are looking toward the ceiling. you should feel a pretty good stretch in your lower back. repeat on both sides in the morning and evening. But don't stretch the muscle cold. warm it up a little first. i hope that helps. and i am once again amazed at how hard it is to explain things with just words.

another thing that might help but take it easy with this one is get a tennis ball and put it on the floor and lay on top of it so that wherever the pain in your back is the tennis ball is pushing on it. It hurts but helps get deep in the tissue to break up and lactic acid that may be causing pain in your muscle. after you do that make sure you stretch the muscle.

[IronFist]

There's nothing wrong with starting on your knees.

Or, if you have the space, you can put your toes on the ground and your hands on the 1st or 2nd stair in a staircase. That will help give you better leverage, too.

[RUFNTUFGIRL]

another thing that might help but take it easy with this one is get a tennis ball and put it on the floor and lay on top of it so that wherever the pain in your back is the tennis ball is pushing on it. It hurts but helps get deep in the tissue to break up and lactic acid that may be causing pain in your muscle. after you do that make sure you stretch the muscle.

I have streched in that manner but I will try the tennis ball. Thanks.

[emplion]

there is this salonpas i think... made in japan. pain patch. it works well.

[Becca]

I have this every so often. It sometimes goes away with a good stretch, but usually I end up going to the chiropractor.:(

BUT... There is a stretch that seems to help me some. It sounds very weird and I get a lot of odd looks. First, find one of those hand rails made of pipes. They need to be the ones with the rails horizontal, not vertical. And it helps if it has 4 or 5 levels. An old-fashion board fence with the slats horizontal works, too, if there is room for you to put your knee and foot in it, but it's not as comfortable. Next, put your foot and knee into a low slot. Lean forward and rest you fore arms on the top slat. Repete for each leg and keep going up untill you can no longer lean in without bending your back.

I know this is similar to a forward hurdler's stretch, but that stretch never seems to target my hip flexors and buttox. This one does. It also helps to work the pain out of upper thighs due to too much low stances. :cool:

[RUFNTUFGIRL]

I tried the tennis ball and it hasn't improved. I will try Becca's idea and let you guys know. I reslly don't like seeing chiropractors.:( I have been using all my arm and shoulder strength to get passed it and just stay up there, but I still cave half the time.

[dainos]

law down on the flor and raise your legs past your head and make them touch the floor above you have your hands on your hips to support them and keep knees straight. if done correctly you will see your crotch right above your face.


i wish i could show this to you or discribe it better.

[Crushing Fist]

law down on the flor and raise your legs past your head and make them touch the floor above you have your hands on your hips to support them and keep knees straight. if done correctly you will see your crotch right above your face.


i wish i could show this to you or discribe it better.


"the plow" from yoga


this is one of my favorite stretches... it really helps my back and neck

[PangQuan]

what type of warm up routine does your shcool do before classes?

i would think that stretch would be part of it. you should be paying attention to every area of the body in warm ups.

if your school does not do a lot of warm ups, find a good system and try to incorporate it into your personal regime.

any shaolin warm up system will be good, its all derived from yoga and other chinese exersizes.

from the head down to the toes and everything in between.

try finding some good lower back strenthening exersizes as well, it may not be just a simple stretghing thing, you may need more strength.


lie on your back and put your hands under your butt. lift your feet a couple inches from the ground, keep the knees straight, so that from your feet to your thighs there is none touching the ground. lift your head the same amount.

hold this at first for 20 seconds or so until you really feel it working you out. build up time till you can hold it for 3 minutes. by this time your lower back will be greatly strenghtned.

it really helped me out in the past when i had lower back problems similar to yours. now i have no problems at all. this was about the only thing i did out of my regular routine to correct my situation.

[RUFNTUFGIRL]

I practice yoga and Plow doesn't do it and no other pose does. I stretch before and after workouts always. I think Becca is right a chiropractor may be the answer. Maybe my Lats are getting weak?

[PangQuan]

sounds like you need strengthening.

try the exersize i described above, i gaurantee results, or your money back!!

[Becca]

I practice yoga and Plow doesn't do it and no other pose does. I stretch before and after workouts always. I think Becca is right a chiropractor may be the answer. Maybe my Lats are getting weak?

I have heard this complaint mainly from women who have had kids, but also from people who have had back or hip injuries. My bone cracker says it is a common problem for women in general. Having kids is a big stress on the skelital system. Things get out of alignment and hard activities tend to push things back out of alignment all over again.

[RUFNTUFGIRL]

Interesting. Becca I have 18 mth old twins. I bet you are right! I figured the hip alignment wasn't related to this so I wasn't thinking like that. I am always jumping on my legs too. Lots of cardio. Probably not helping.

[Becca]

Not really a problem, either, though. I have two boys and it hasn't slowed me down. I just need to go to the ciro 3-4 times a year to keep things lined up the right way.

[dainos]

it is and so genes do any of your reletives have back problems talk to them to see how they deal with them.

the taller you are the more leverage is used on your bones.

i agree on the back strengthing exercise

[_William_]

I would advise seeing a physiotherapist since nobody here can evaluate your problem without physically being present.

However, try this and see if it helps: breath into your abdomen and isometrically contract all the "core" muscles. Hold this while doing your pushups, and make a conscious effort to keep everything in your midsection engaged. This is called the "brace", it is as if someone were about to slam a punch in your gut. Does this help? Also, "planks". Same was pushups except you are supported on your forearms, holding for time. Keep the brace. Does this help? If not, then seeing a physiotherapist is probably best.

BTW I would not be too aggressive with the spinal stretching without need and supervision, as you can cause damage to the back.

[stubbs]

If you had kids maybe you could have a weak or overstretched transverse abdominus? Could be a never ending number of other things. I'd go see some kind of professional - physio, sports therapist, chiropractor etc.

[RUFNTUFGIRL]

I had a Diastis (not sure of spelling) I have worked the TVA to close it up. Done planks an core exercises. It wasn't a big seperation. It felt like forever to tighten it up again. Worked with Docs and Chiro, even a trainer friend of mine after babies were here. They all think that I tore it open before pregnancy from too many ab exercises. Funny though I was all belly when I was pregnant, I should post a photo to make you all laugh. Not really into photos online though.

[stubbs]

Couple of other things to think about/try:

Have a go at doing the push ups resting on your insteps rather than your toes (only if you can do it comfortably) and see if you still get the pain (just do this as a test not as an alternative).

What sort of ab exercises have you done? If they think you tore your TVA from too many ab exercises did anyone test your psoas to see if it was tight?

[SanHeChuan]

If you don't like chiropractors (hacks :p ) find a Rolfer. It's less violent :rolleyes: , more like a massage but very uncomfortable.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolfing

[RUFNTUFGIRL]

I Knew I Had The Seperation When I Was Pregnant And Did What I Could At That Point. I Was Not Allowd To Exercise My Entire Pregnancy And If You Know Me Well Let's Just Say I Did Not Take This Well! I Was Able To Do Some Light Ab Work Ans I Tried My Best To Keep The Seperation Of The Recti At Its Lowest. It Was Only 2" By The Time I Gave Birth. Anyway, After I Delivered I Began These Ab Exercises ( I Did Them Every Day Until More And More Reps Until The Abs Were Stronger And The Seperation Closed Up And Then I Slowly Began Modified Abs...

Pelvic Tilits While Zipping Up And Holding The Contraction For 50 Counts And Releasing But Not All The Way To Start And Repeating 25 - 50 Times.

Simple Contractions Of Holding Tva Zipped And Breathing And Holding

Side Lying Obl Using Leg Lifts To Cont Obs.

Standing Weighted Side Bends.

Wrapped Band Or Towel Around Waste And Hold Ends At 45 Degrees While I Lift My Head And Contract No Shoulders Ever Lifting Because This Would Make It Worse By Pushing Them Out!!!

As Far As Rulfing Never Tries It Just Deep Tissue Massage Which Is Enough Of A Beating For Meand No One Checked Psoas

[RUFNTUFGIRL]

Please forgive the spelling and grammar! Wow, that was bad.