Women Gaining Body Awareness

[Mthegymqueen]

Hello, I am working on cast handstands, but what my coaches tell me I struggle on most is bending my hips first and getting my hips up before my legs. They tell me to focus on feeling my hips so I know where they are, however, no matter how hard I concentrate on my hips, I can not feel them.

Lower body awareness has been a struggle for me (especially with getting my feet up higher in handstands when I was first learning them on floor, and other skills with a focus in lower body), however I have more upper body awareness.
I am very flexible in my hips and can't even feel them while doing pike stretches and splits, however I don't know if that could be part of the cause of the lack of awareness.

Is there anything I can do to help gain body awareness?

Thank you!

 

[raenndrops]

The only thing I can suggest is KT tape ... apply it from upper thigh to just over your hip.
Try it on just one side first, to see if it helps you feel it at all.

Good luck.

 

[Lynn08]

I second the suggestion of KT tape. It worked for me. I would highly recommend especially if you are hypermobile.

 

[raenndrops]

I would highly recommend especially if you are hypermobile.

Lol, that was where I got the idea from. Our team at one point actually had 3 gymnasts DIAGNOSED with Ehlers-Danlos Hypermobile type ... and a couple others that were hypermobile, but with no diagnosis. One of the girls used KT to help her body awareness.

 

[JBS]

It's hard to say without a video... however... this is something that I notice...

bending my hips first

I don't agree with this... once you come off the bar you go into a tight arch (or straight) up to around horizontal with lots of power. After that is when you bend your hips.

Typically if someone cannot straight body cast to above horizontal (around 30º)... then they will struggle with a straddle cast (maybe they can still make it... but bent arms / legs / flexed feet / etc.).

 

[Lynn08]

Lol, that was where I got the idea from. Our team at one point actually had 3 gymnasts DIAGNOSED with Ehlers-Danlos Hypermobile type ... and a couple others that were hypermobile, but with no diagnosis. One of the girls used KT to help her body awareness.

I'm diagnosed EDS Hypermobile Type so I definitely get it. It's mainly why I had to quit gymnastics haha

 

[raenndrops]

I'm diagnosed EDS Hypermobile Type so I definitely get it. It's mainly why I had to quit gymnastics haha

We are at a low-hours gym, which probably contributed to their ability to stay in the sport as long as they did.
We had one compete through Senior year ... Level 8 for 2 years and her high school team for 4 years. She was the one who used KT Tape from Level 3 on.
Another one competed though senior year, but she only competed Gold (2 years) and Platinum (2 years) along with being a high school cheerleader (the kind with not a lot of tumbling, lol).
The third one retired after she broke her back a second time ... as a level 8. Actually, she was medically cleared her before her back was fully healed (they missed it on follow-up x-rays).
She switched to pole vault and went to college on a track scholarship.

 

[Lynn08]

We are at a low-hours gym, which probably contributed to their ability to stay in the sport as long as they did.
We had one compete through Senior year ... Level 8 for 2 years and her high school team for 4 years. She was the one who used KT Tape from Level 3 on.
Another one competed though senior year, but she only competed Gold (2 years) and Platinum (2 years) along with being a high school cheerleader (the kind with not a lot of tumbling, lol).
The third one retired after she broke her back a second time ... as a level 8. Actually, she was medically cleared her before her back was fully healed (they missed it on follow-up x-rays).
She switched to pole vault and went to college on a track scholarship.

I was doing about 6 hours a week when I quit. Prior to switching back to gymnastics in 8th grade I was a multisport athlete. I got a pots diagnosis and was somehow like, this is a good idea! I would love to go back as an adult at my own pace but no clue how to do that. Also not sure if my body would hold up. I'm out of sports now - just graduated HS and will probably need accommodations for whatever physical education they require in college.

 

[raenndrops]

I was doing about 6 hours a week when I quit. Prior to switching back to gymnastics in 8th grade I was a multisport athlete. I got a pots diagnosis and was somehow like, this is a good idea! I would love to go back as an adult at my own pace but no clue how to do that. Also not sure if my body would hold up. I'm out of sports now - just graduated HS and will probably need accommodations for whatever physical education they require in college.

One of our girls (the Xcel one) was diagnosed with POTS and had gastro issues. In her senior year, she only practiced 2-3 hours a week.
Good luck to you in college.