Core Max neck strain

[nancy324]

What's wrong with my neck that it ALWAYS requires support during ab work? I can't do any of the exercises on Core Max where Cathe and crew have their arms straight out or in any other position where the neck is unsupported. In fact, even where my neck is supported, it is still straining. Anyone else find this?

Isn't there some way to work the core without straining the neck???? x(

-Nancy

 

[dpiglet]

Hey Nancy!! Me too!! Well, I've never noticed a problem before...in fact, I think I have a pretty strong core. But I did the first section of core max yesterday (which I found very challenging, by the way!) and today my whole neck is aching...so much so I found it uncomfortable to move it around today. I thought I was getting strep throat until I read your post and suddenly realized that perhaps it was the workout...I guess I will have to be a little more aware the next time. Take care, Donna.

 

[princesscks]

Hi,

I did Core Max #1 on Thursday, and didn't feel the ache until this morning. I believe this will go away in time. I don't think it's neck strain, just soreness.

-Chiquita

 

[kathryn]

I don't have Core Max yet, but a couple of things might help:

I'm a rookie at Pilates, but a couple of workouts I have tell you to tip your chin down a bit, without "scrunching" your neck, and to think of lengthening the back of your neck.

A couple of workouts I have by instructors with physical therapy backgrounds recommend to always put the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth when doing crunches, as it helps support the neck muscles.

Are the "arms out" moves you're talking about with the arms overhead? If so, it's possible you're tensing your neck and shoulder muscles without knowing it.

 

[Rose11]

Back in high school my PE teacher taught me that I have to imagine that I'm holding an orange between my chin and my chest when I'm doing ab crunches. That's supposed to be the ideal space you should have between your chin and your chest without causing neck strain. It has worked ever since. Also, you have to lift with your abs when you do the exercises. You put your arms in the back of your head just so your head doesn't go backwards, but you should never pull with your arms and your neck should remain static, but not tense.

 

[Dutchie42]

So do I. Don't forget, your head weighs about 11 pounds (honestly) which must be held up by your neck muscles.

For me it's caused by a whiplash high up in my neck. It is getting better though. The stronger my neck-/shoulder muscles are, the better it gets. But after almost five years, I still have to modify some ab exercises and pay very careful attention to form.

Dutchie

 

[Soosan]

I can do a few reps with my neck unsupported but I always wind up supporting it before the set is through. I can't keep my arms straight by my ears either. I always attributed this to a lack of core strength and just keep plugging away but taking care to use my abs and not pull on my neck or head.

I'll try your tongue tip, Kathryn. (Now that sounded weird!)

 

[Bunbun]

I never make it all the way through Cathe's ab exercises without having to support my head. On the other hand, her workouts are the first time I've ever been able to do any crunches at all with an unsupported head, so it's an improvement for me. One thing that helped me is making sure that I crunch up my abs high enough so that they are doing the holding and my head isn't in a position where I feel like it's a cannon ball pulling me back down. (Does that make any sense??) That helped me learn to do the unsupported crunches where your legs are in the air and your hands reach to your legs. From there I've been able to start doing a few of the ones where your hands are by your ears--I think that it gave me a sense of how my abs should feel in order to support the exercise and not put the strain on my neck. But I can still only do a few and I figure it's a gradual process to be able to do more.

 

[TarHeelMom]

Nancy, a couple of tricks

Hi Nancy!

Me too, me too. I hear you. My core needs a lot of work and right now there are some Core Max moves that are out there on my fantasy horizon. ;-) Those unsupported-neck moves are very, very difficult and I don't do many reps of them without support. But I'd like to improve on this, like you.

I'm finding that I have to constantly remind myself about the position of my head and neck (not tipped up or down), about not gripping the back of my head and pulling up towards my crunch position, and about keeping my hands toward the top of my head (as opposed to wrapped around lower toward my neck). A couple of little tricks that help me.

First, I pick a spot on the ceiling, I tip my chin up slightly so that my head is level and not flexed forward or backward, and then I stare at the same spot as much as I can during the entire workout, just glancing at Cathe now and then for form reminders. That really helps with stabilizing my neck position.

And second, I wear my weight-training gloves to do core work (except for planks and ball work -- for those I have to have my hands naked for traction on the floor). BUT I leave the velcro flaps on my wrists completely open. This does two great things: (1) It make me keep my hands cupped loosely and gently around my head, because the velcro gets painfully caught in my hair if I grip my head too hard; (2) It reminds me to keep my hands away from the back of my neck and more up toward the rounder part of my head -- same reason; if I grip too low on my neck, the velcro gets tangled in my hair (Ouch! :-(), and worse, it's the hair at the nape of my neck that gets snarled up -- the baby-fine REALLY painful stuff!

Hope this helps!

http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung0304/sport/sport-smiley-003.gif Kathy S. http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung0304/sport/sport-smiley-001.gif
[font color=green]2005 Worked Out With Cathe Days 21/44/365

 

[tknelsen]

thanks for all the great suggestions everyone. I just finished doing CM #1 for the second time and I definitely have trouble with the strain on my neck.

By the way, I tried taking off my shoes and using 3# handweights to boost myself up during the levitation move and it still didn't help! I can only get one leg levitating.
Tracy