Need to learn more about muscles

[ailbhe]

For no good reason, at one point yesterday I was lying on my back and raising my legs up straight from the floor to 90 degrees from the floor. For some reason, it made some of the muscles in my abdomen go incredibly hard. I am trying to work out how to find those muscles *any other way* but haven't managed it yet.

Comments

[biascut.livejournal.com]

That's the extreme version of a typical Pilates exercise. The theory behind Pilates is that you usually use the big outer muscles and that by working very gently, you strengthen the smaller internal muscles, although I have no idea if there's any truth to that or whether it's sciensegook.

So instead of lifting your whole leg, the Pilates exercise you usually do is lying on your back, concentrating on drawing in your stomach and pelvic floor muscles and keeping your stomach flat (not arching your back or bracing your tummy), and then lift one knee up over your hip and then the other one. Then you make it harder by moving your leg in various different ways, but the challenge is always to try and keep your stomach flat, drawn in and semi-relaxed.

[nex0s.livejournal.com]

The muscles you felt in your core were helping to stablize your hips as gravity works to pull your legs back down.

Also, deep inside your abdomen is the Psoas Major (link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psoas_major_muscle). This muscle runs from the lower vertabrae to the upper thigh and would be contracted when you lifted your legs up. It may be this muscle you felt.

I knew that anatomy course would come in helpful! :)

N.

[sidheag.livejournal.com]

If you were doing this the way it sounds, by starting lying down flat and then lifting the legs up keeping them straight until they reach 90 degrees, don't - that's a classic "how to damage your lower back" stunt. If you were doing it with bent knees, and straightening them once they were over your hips, that's better, but even then, be sure to engage the abs first.

[ailbhe]

Why does it damage the lower back? It's the main way to get a child to superhero on my feet!

[sidheag.livejournal.com]

Err... now that you ask, I don't have a proper explanation. I have many times heard that it puts too much stress on the lower vertebrae. Google finds me this, which looks promising but doesn't actually answer the question in its title as far as I can see:
http://www.fitness.com/articles/1106/why_leg_raises_hurt_your_back.php
although it does explain that this isn't working your abs and I think by implication maybe it's bad because it doesn't exercise whatever the opposing muscle of the psoas is...

Ah, right, the thing to google is:
risks of double leg raises
which gives you a lot of hits all saying "don't". None of the first half-dozen I clicked on seem better than the others, though: they all say it hyperextends the lower back, puts a lot of stress on the lower back (one was specific to the upper L5 vertebra junction where most adult back pain begins it said), doesn't exercise the abs anyway.

[ailbhe]

I wonder do they mean "don't put effort into doing this difficult thing" rather than "stop doing this easy thing you've done all your life" though?

[biascut.livejournal.com]

Think about where it's putting stress. If it's pulling on your back or your tummy, or causing you to arch your back, it's not good. But if you can do it with your stomach flat and your lower back relaxed, sounds fine.

Personally, I would really, really feel that, but I've got a bit of a weak lower back anyway. But that's one of the fascinating things about pilates - everyone's got different "easy" and "hard"!

[biascut.livejournal.com]

Also, I think making the children fly is an excellent reason!

[ailbhe]

I only noticed "stress" because I had my hands on my tummy for once! I usually do it with a child on my feet, for flying. I think it's just something I have the strength for; I know I have tons more lower back and abdominal strength than Rob, for example.

[sidheag.livejournal.com]

As in, if you've done it all your life, and find it easy, does that mean that *for you* it's OK? That's a really interesting question, and I don't know! I mean, surely, it's at least less dangerous for you than for someone who doesn't find it easy. But loads of people have backs which are absolutely fine while they're young - some of them being fit and healthy while they're young too - and then develop back pain when they're older. It's not obvious that doing this isn't increasing your chance of being one of them, and that's what would bother me. It might be fine, though; I really don't know. If you ever see a physiotherapist for anything, ask, and I'll try to remember to do so too (when I next do, since although I have nothing wrong with me at present, I surely will again!)

[snorkel-maiden.livejournal.com]

I believe that it *can* damage your back because a lot of the time people will arch the lower back off the ground when they do something like that, which isn't good and can lead to back issues. But if your back stays flat, it means you have the strength to do it, so it's fine!

One Pilates exercise I've never been able to do is- starting from your end position, with your back flat on the floor and your legs vertical, lift your hip bones off the floor, roll backwards, and end up with your legs parallel to the floor above your head and your feet pointed out. If that makes sense. I can do it, but I have to rock forwards a bit first to get momentum. And then lift your legs back up to vertical and really really slowly bring them back down to the floor.

[da-pol.livejournal.com]

Try tensing your stomach and then rolling your hips forward while lying on your back - that *should* cause the same ones to go hard.

[grmbledook.livejournal.com]

Why shouldn't you do it? This is really complex question (as others have sort have said) but it is not just about your abs and your back but also about other muscles which work on your hips, mainly the muscles at the back of the leg.

When you have your legs straight as you lift them it means the hamstrings are already tensed, so that as you raise your legs it starts to tilt you hips backwards, stretching out the lower back. If you have had, or at risk of, a herniated disc in your lumber region then doing this on a regular basis can cause problems.

There are a number of good studies and explanations around about this but most are in journals or behind paywalls. If I find a good, plain english one I'll put another update on.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straight_leg_raise give a good coverage of when straight leg raises are used to assess problems in the lower back.

This is before we get to the issue of the stress it put on the muscles in the back of the legs ... for many who have not warmed up or are naturally flexible (due to lifestyle, body type, etc) then this exercise can put a strain on these muscles and can even cause damage.

Not a complete answer but hopefully a bit more information. Generally, most would say that moderation and being aware of any sharp movements, any feeling of straining, any history of injury to back (any part), legs or hips and taking into account where you are doing it (i.e. is there support, risk of sliding and making awkward movements, etc) then take care with it.