Teaching someone to 'feel' their abs...

[Gibbee]

How do you go about teaching someone to 'feel' their abs... and to consciously contract them? My 11 year old daughter wants to workout with me but we struggle with understanding how to hold the abs in or to contract them without puffing out the chest or holding the breath. Crunches look more like head raises... I've tried the 'coughing' to feel the transverse (like Charlene Prickett recommends) and visualization but alas it is lost somewhere in translation.

Any ideas or suggestions?

 

[NurseLRT]

I am by no means an expert but here is my opinion to "feel" her abs.

Tell her to use her abs to pull herself up into a crunch and not her shoulders, back, chest. This helps me.

You know when Cathe does dead lifts for the longest time I would use other muscles instead of hinging and using my lower back and hamstrings to pull myself up. This is the same principle.

I hope this makes sense and I am sure you will get better expert opinions.

Lori

 

[hounddogs]

I have had some luck with girls a little older than 11 by having them learn yoga belly breathing first. When you inhale, expand your belly to fill up with air. When you exhale, use your belly to squeeze out every last bit of air. That's the transverse abdominus doing the work. Then you can usually engage it without attaching breathing to it, although the breath work is good on its own.
For the rectus (crunching muscles), stand behind her head (while she is on her back in the crunch position)and have her look up at you while she is crunching, and tell her to imagine a grapefruit under her chin. That will help her initiate the movement with the abs rather than the head or neck. If her feet pop up, have her tuck them under something.
HTH
--Ann

 

[Gibbee]

Both of these posts are great suggestions. I will have to give them a try!

 

[kathryn]

Coughing is a good idea for engaging the transverse abs. Also, doing an exaggerated "ha, ha, ha" laugh.

 

[Renee McFar]

The visual of "pulling your belly button into your spine" has always worked for me. LOL! I have a 12 yr old dd who I get tounge tied trying to explain certain moves/stretches to also.

 

[67firecracker]

Charlene Prickett!?!

Charlene Prickett!!! I haven't heard that name in years. She's what got me into this exercising stuff way back when I was a teenager. Does she still have a TV program somewhere?

 

[starlight6]

RE: Charlene Prickett!?!

In Canada, yes. I love Charlene & have learned a LOT from her. In fact, I just received yesterday in the mail her 3 new DVD's. Great fun!

Ruth