Big question re: Exercises on back with legs in air

Ya, definitely a question for Christine. That 3rd wheel floor routine on the back is more intense than the other DVDs for sure, but I don't feel strain in the lower belly. I do feel some tightness in the upper belly during the duration, but it isn't intense. I can really feel it in my inner thighs!
Would love to hear Christine's take on bending the knees slightly. We are all different and need to adjust accordingly I would think?

Hi surviving60,
I'm sure you're not alone. Re the posture you describe, I think for those people who find it difficult to do/maintain this posture with straight legs, do it with knees bent in the 90 degree position, but so that they still feel the stretch and work in the legs. As you say you def don't want to do the posture in an obtuse angle or over 90 degrees.
As with all the postures, gradual progress is made with repetition/practice.
Hope you enjoy experimenting with this posture.
xLindy

I love these exercises because they are the only way I can think of to move the psoas through its full range of motion. Psoas major is the huge muscle that reaches from the upper lumbar and thoracic vertebrae all the way through the pelvis to attach onto the bump (lesser trochanter) at the top-back of the thigh bone. Although not an actual external rotator, studies have shown that the psoas favors external rotation due to the way it winds and unwinds around the hip joint. Big scissors pushes and pulls the psoas like taffy. When you lift your legs to 90 degrees, that muscle tension you feel is the shortened and contracted psoas. When you extend your legs out to the sides, the muscle relaxes as it is pulled to its greatest length.

If you bend your knees, the body goes into further hip flexion and the psoas contracts. Doing big scissors like this never allows the psoas to fully stretch, which is basically working it in an unfavorable anatomic position.

Virtually all of the women I have worked with over the years cannot do this marvelous exercise because their psoas is chronically contracted. Their adductors are also short and tense, which restricts the legs being able to open wide.

What is the solution? If it were me, I would keep working on straightening my legs - beginning with point/flex, ankle circles, and little scissors. But I can't insist everyone do this because there may be levels of restriction that make the exercise impossible and risky. We've paid a dear price for sitting in chairs - that of a chronically shortened psoas and other dysfunctional muscles around the hips. If you are able to sit up fully with legs stretched out in front, and also cross-legged with knees close to the floor, these are great preliminary positions for working up to scissors. Alternatively, don't do them if you feel undue stress, pain, or instability. Instead, hold the baton on the floor above your head (arms straight), widen your legs as far as possible, and do point/flex in this position.

Hope this helps and please let me know if I can answer further.

:-) Christine

Dear Christine & Surviving,
Just the thing I've been working on!!
In the past, I was told to stand at the sink with knees off lock to "protect the back", and I have been bending my knees, while standing for years.
That with a "sedimentary" my euphemism for sedentary lifestyle the last few years, led to my Mum commenting while I showed her the DVDs that my legs were not straight.
I had not realized before how much my legs and arms were contracted & then I've been too scared to straighten my knees too much in case I damaged the knee caps - I know now that I can straighten my knees and there is a "sweet spot" where they are straight and not bowed back! Phew!!
It has taken me a few months now, with consistently doing the Hips program( to stabilize and heal my R hip) and adding the 1st wheel DVD when I felt able to learn it!!

Until this week the floor "ant with legs in the air "position of the 1st Wheel DVD my abdominal wall did quiver! I think we may unconsciously pull in the torso muscles without realizing...
As of yesterday, I can carefully bend from the hips and place my palms on the floor, and my abs don't quiver anymore as I do the legs in the air stuff!! YAY. If arms are extended above the head, that keeps the lumbar curve in place and the torso muscles strong and curved out a little...?? I can "lift" myself from a lying position from the floor or in bed, to sitting by very slightly pushing out my abdominal wall - the power in the lift is amazing, & easier than the old way of holding the muscles in... Is this OK to do at times Christine?
I credit some of this to better strength in my abdominal wall - I love all the brilliantly effective exercises, however one of my favourites is the torso twist! That combined with all the other abdominal exercises have resulted in the last few days, a feeling a lightness and freedom in my torso as the muscles hold me up more effectively.

SITTING ON THE FLOOR
I find that now that I am training myself to sit on the floor in the various positions, while cross legged I need to support my back as at this time I LOSE my lumbar curve. My knees are still some inches off the floor, and am gradually relaxing them further. I can turn the soles of my feet upward but not yet completely.
Am I on the right track? I am concerned that my hips are correctly placed. I had thought about alternately lying on my back in a frog position, while protecting/ supporting my lumbar curve, (like babies do). I notice that Christine has just that position in the exercise program on the online Destination Prolapse Free!!
I am increasing in strength daily - my legs are even stronger now that I have been sitting on the floor a few times, changing positions regularly. I do notice that under the right side of my left knee cap, as per discussion the other day, does protest a bit sometimes after being in the cross legged, but goes away quickly.
Still working on how to effectively keep my lumbar curve while putting on shoes and drying toes after a shower - not in that order lol!
HUMP at base of neck - too my horror I have one and am sleeping flat as possible, and working hard on the posture, especially head position!!
This is an incredible journey and I am privileged to be a part of this.
Any suggestions or thoughts on my Qs, observations, and ways to progress would be very welcome.
By sharing what I am doing, I hope this encourages others to persevere at their own pace.
I have been doing WWP for about 2yrs, however I'm glad that I waited for the Hips program, to use as my foundation to work from, while I add the other DVDs and online exercise routine.
Best wishes,
Aussie Soul Sister

I hear ya, surviving. I have been working around a bum shoulder for years, brought on by too many years in the factory, and then the nursing homes didn't do it any good, either. I don't have the pain I used to have with it, but I know I will never have full range of motion with it. I accept that and work around it.
That is one of the reasons first aid for prolapse wasn't as easy for me. I simply cannot hold the arm up for the duration. I let it down when I need to, pick it back up, and move on. It is not going to stop me from doing my whole woman exercises, and never will as far as I am concerned.
We just gotta keep moving the best we can. I saw too many people in the nursing homes who just stopped moving, and got stiffer and stiffer. The ones who took full advantage of the therapy offered could really get around. Their "can do" attitude really inspired me not to let my bum shoulder get in the way of doing what I wanted to do.
Wishing you the best, dear surviving!!

Dear Surviving,
I had to slow down all the exercises to learn them properly and work up to the faster ones, which I am not doing quite yet. I need to keep doing the Hips DVD as the foundation to other DVDs.
While doing the Chair - arm exercises I added 1kilo weights and was disheartened that my right arm protested so much but now after a while of changing the belief that I needed to increase the weights and experience discomfort as par for the course, the pain has diminished. I am happy to stay with 1k for the moment - I don't need bulging arms anyway - just strong ones.
Maybe you could put a little pillow under your hand and rest it there, relaxing into the stretch if you have not too much pain. Perhaps also a pillow supporting your lumbar curve may help also. I find my trapeze muscle contracts a bit also at times, which reminds me to do something differently. Yes it is disconcerting. I'm still working on sitting cross legged, trying to be patient as I wish to see how far WW can take me over time, as a tribute to Christine's hard work - I wish to be a living example!
A few years back, I used to sleep on a slightly filled hot water bottle under my pillow, as my upper back/ shoulders were painful.
Just lately my hands are going to sleep at night, and have tingling and some nerve pain, though the whole left hand is getting worse and harder to "waken up" after it wakes me up! My right 2nd & third finger have been locking a little this week also - looking around google for ideas as to what to do has not been very hopeful.
I realize today, that while sitting at this desktop computer, I have been resting my wrists on the edge of the table while I type and use the mouse. I am now lifting my hands up more, and when I put my wrists on the table just then, the shock and pins and needle feeling shot through both hands. I've been meaning to get an ottoman this year. This may put paid to me being on here for a while, and give everyone a break from my posts!!
I do hope you are feeling better soon Surviving
(((hugs))) &
Best Wishes,
Aussie Soul Sister

Dear Surviving,
I have done the weights thing in the past too, to pull down my shoulders. I find that lately, keeping the crown of my head up at the back really helps, and constantly reminding myself to keep shoulders down.
Years ago when sitting with gatherings of people, I used to hunch my shoulders up, and lean my head forward to talk and listen to the conversation, and pay for it later! That was a good reminder to break that unconscious habit, once I worked why I had such sore shoulders the next day!
As I very slowly and carefully practice the sitting positions, my left knee does protest in the muscle at the inner side of the kneecap, when I straighten my legs. I am doing these positions a couple of times a day, mostly in the evening, as I can remind myself as the next part of WW I am working on. I don't last in them long, rotating frequently. I breath into the relaxation of my crossed legs, very gradually relaxing my knees downward, & it is not comfortable at all yet, and I have to support the lumbar curve, without collapsing into that support even though there is not much of a curve yet, in this position. I breath forcibly into my belly to help these positions.
By the way, by lifting my hands while I type, I have reduced the symptoms of my hands going to sleep at night markedly - last night they only did it in the fingers a little once or twice - compared to the night before, when my whole left hand was completely numb and it was very scary trying to get the circulation going again.
Do you do the Hips DVD Surviving ? I highly recommend it for everyone.
I have had so much success with it as even though I have hip issues, it would be great for everyone as I believe it has evened up my body, with better balance, grounding and more even strength with the start of the automatic sharing of everyday tasks with both arms, as one discovery, though I will admit that I am somewhat both handed. With our modern way of life I used to sit on my right buttock in the car, and lean to the right sitting in chairs and on lounges, stand with all my weight on my right leg and all this without realizing!! I think I also used to have my head tilted to one side, as was pointed out when I needed an ID photo recently. I remember observing people sitting to one side with crossed legs.
I don't know if it is normal for people to have a favoured strong arm/side, however with our slouchy lifestyle, I know with me now it was extreme.
The Hips DVD has has enabled me to learn the 1st wheel more easily, and progress has been gradual but now I can bend down from the hips & very carefully place my palms on the floor. My torso and spine flexibility is giving me a lightness that is amazing to observe, while sitting and walking. My waistline is more even at the sides as one side used to be straight.
I don't walk as much as I used to, so that is something for me to add so that I can walk in WWP with my newly straightened legs, taking long strides, which feel fantastic! I will imagine you and all our WW Sisters walking together!
So wonderful that you are walking again Surviving!! I hope our discussion helps.
Best Wishes,
Aussie Soul Sister

Hi surviving,
Sorry you are having a rough time of it right now. I wanted to talk about the upper back, right shoulder pain. When I first went to the doctor all those years ago, he wanted to do surgery on my neck. I then went to a chiropractor, I was working in the factory at this time, and he said that I was over working my muscles on the left side of my body. This was making my left side stronger, pulling and twisting my spine, subluxation they call it, causing all the pain in my shoulder and tingling down my arm. His adjustments helped me to move again, but I continued to work hard for many more years after that, and kept going to the chiro to fix me up. I am better now that I don't do that kind of labor anymore, but I think I have built up a good amount of scar tissue in that joint, so have lost full range of motion I will probably never recover.
I was listening to National Public Radio one day, and one of the doctors was saying that keeping the muscles loosened and relaxed from massage was just as good as chiropractic care. I know a lot of them have been getting massage therapist in the office to help loosen the muscles for the chiropractic adjustment to work better. My hubby loves to go have a massage on his upper back because he gets tightness and tension in his neck from riding his bike. The tightness he had would cause him dizziness, not good!
Just wondering if you considered massage to loosen any tightness?

I love these yoga DVDs! What I am off on is balance and there is that early stretch that Christine's daughter does in the Second wheel that I can't do yet. But the squats that christine does in the First wheel I may never attain! I want to though. I have a stiff knee and problems with my left hip which is one of the main reason I go to the craniosacral practitioner. I have been swimming for a year which has strengthened my body. I was hoping to wean myself off of the craniosacral guy since eventually I will be leaving the country but clearly I am not ready. So grateful feeling so empowered as we all are to have found Christine's work. So blessed to still be in this country when I became aware of the prolapse. Women don't talk about these things because of shame. i have a friend in another country who just had a hysterectomy and when I asked her why , she said "all better now, good as new!" And that was the end of it…..

Dear Surviving,
Please don't feel that you are not as dedicated as everyone else in exercise /diet etc. The time you spend with the great demands of work and generosity in looking after everyone here would take a huge amount of time out of your day and week! When I have worked it is demanding and tiring enough to take priority over much else!

I am lucky in some ways that I am between jobs, so in-between demands of family, and not doing that much housework I can plan do the DVDs and think about things WW as I go.
My ultimate motivation to do the exercises was driven by the potentially disabling deterioration of my hip health, more than anything else. My leg veins are now an added motivator if I sit too long.
I have had to become flexible with everything I wish to do, as it used to be all or nothing with everything, which resulted in me becoming frustrated and giving things up because of the level of commitment I demanded of myself, often thinking I was not doing enough as I was doing them!
So if I miss a day of the exercises, which I do, I don't give up on them altogether.

I have foods that I try to eat daily as a foundation for managing rectocele, easily available with little and simple preparation. Other that that, I am not strict about my diet as trying to control everything is just not possible and too stressful and exhausting to feel guilty or worry about. I believe that is more detrimental to health and well - being if we are trying to be "perfect".

With WW, as unique individuals, there are probably as many slight variations on how we all live in it, with great results regardless! With the curve - balls life deals us, we are better off with the level of WW we are at... than not having it at all...
Sending you all the very best wishes,
Aussie Soul Sister,
your friend from Down Under