Women Is extra conditioning/strengthening needed for overly flexible back?

[LJL07]

Are there any conditioning exercises that can help a young child with an overly flexible back and in general overly flexible joints?

I first started reading about the spondylosis info when I joined the message board, and I worry esp as I watched DD do a series of very bendy-like back walkovers across the backyard yesterday. This is pretty constant even though I remind her often to stop doing back walkovers and back handsprings. When she initially learned her backhandsprings, those were very bendy too, but with lots of work, she is now going back and covering more ground instead of undercutting like she used to do, unless she is tired and not concentrating. The latest is that she thinks she can do a back tuck, but she is throwing her head back and trying to flip almost in a circle (not describing well) like she's a seal. We are ALL telling her to stop even trying these. Her handstands are very problematic too. She can walk on her hands with her back almost bent in half, but she cannot hold a vertical handstand (and the back is too arched) for more than about a second.

Our first gym got very frustrated with her because she was so bendy she couldn't get straight/tight even when asked to do so. I think gyms see her splits and flexibility and get very excited and then realize she has no body control and get frustrated.

Finally, are we wrong to have her do conditioning exercises at home even though she hates it? the gym is recommending handstand work and hollow body holds at home maybe because of the extreme arching. It is really like pulling teeth with the whining and stomping when we ask her to do it (she's 7). I know it's no fun, but I'd rather her not have stress fractures in her back by the time she's a teenager. And banning the tumbling is becoming an exercise in futility.

 

[txgymfan]

If you want her to not have back problems stop all back walkovers when not in gym and honestly limit them in the gym. Constant back walk overs are harmful to her back. Set up consequences and enforce them. Possibly, if you do walkovers at home, you will not go to gym and you will explain to the coach why.

 

[LJL07]

If you want her to not have back problems stop all back walkovers when not in gym and honestly limit them in the gym. Constant back walk overs are harmful to her back. Set up consequences and enforce them. Possibly, if you do walkovers at home, you will not go to gym and you will explain to the coach why.

Good idea--we were already headed in that direction with the awful back flips. I guess the only concern I had was that she might lose the skill, and I know it's in her upcoming routine. That might be a ridiculous worry. Are the back handsprings harmful as well?

 

[Kiwi]

I wouldn't be happy with any tumbling outside the gym beyond a handstand or cartwheel. It sounds like she needs to build core strength, a physio should be able to provide some good exercises for this. I'm thinking of the deep core muscles that stabilise the spine and gives control over posture. Maybe she could practice some plank holds or front support holds at home. Make it a contest to see if she can beat her previous record.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

rhythmic?

 

[LJL07]

I wouldn't be happy with any tumbling outside the gym beyond a handstand or cartwheel. It sounds like she needs to build core strength, a physio should be able to provide some good exercises for this. I'm thinking of the deep core muscles that stabilise the spine and gives control over posture. Maybe she could practice some plank holds or front support holds at home. Make it a contest to see if she can beat her previous record.

Is a physio basically a physical therapist in the us? Yes, we really try to keep a lid on tumbling but it gets hard to monitor 24-7 when she's out if sight at school etc. She's one of those kids constantly in motion.

rhythmic?

That has actually been suggested by a few people, but there are definitely no rhythmic programs around here. Or cirque du soleil. Lol! I hope she is able to stick with this without hurting something. I'm pretty sure this isn't going to bode well for most of the skills involving handstands with a straight back. Pretty much everything really.

 

[iwannacoach]

Be very firm about her only doing these skills in the gym. Tell her she'll earn a one day suspension if you catch her doing them at home, or hear from a teacher that she's doing them at school, and each subsequent "violation" earns an additional day. So if she's caught for the forth time she'd have a four day suspension.

Some skills done in limited numbers are ok at home, and then there are some that shouldn't be done at home.... not even 1 attempt. Two reasons for this is that kids usually refine bad habits at home, and coaches have no idea that the kid they're working with has already done 60 back walkovers earlier in the day. The problem is that some kids can't take that kind of abuse..... 60 at home plus 30 in the gym..... and they end up with back problems.

The arched handstand could be a simple fix, or not. Take a picture of her doing the handstand 5 times. Then have her draw a slight arch on a piece of paper, then a moderate arch, and then the more severe arch. Once done with that have her put the corresponding number for each arch to represent what she'd done during those five handstands.

Now..... show her the pictures. I'll bet she's surprised.

Kids that arch will get so used to that feeling that they begin to identify it as "straight" because straight feels normal..... until they go upside down. The thing is they seem to have a warped perception that kicks in about the same time they kick to a handstand.

See what happens if you ask her to bend into a rounded pike as she kicks to a handstand, and to hold the rounded pike during the handstand. She'll likely come close to eliminating the arch, and if you ask she'll say she's piked. Have her do another 5 handstands and take a picture of each.

Now..... show her the pictures. I'll bet she's surprised again.

It's not what we tell the kids that counts. What really matters is what they think they're doing.

 

[Kiwi]

Is a physio basically a physical therapist in the us?

Yes, we have physiotherapists and you have physical therapists, but I'm pretty sure they're the same thing! It's great if you can find one who understands gymnastics, or if not, a dance physio would also be good.

 

[LJL07]

Be very firm about her only doing these skills in the gym. Tell her she'll earn a one day suspension if you catch her doing them at home, or hear from a teacher that she's doing them at school, and each subsequent "violation" earns an additional day. So if she's caught for the forth time she'd have a four day suspension.

Some skills done in limited numbers are ok at home, and then there are some that shouldn't be done at home.... not even 1 attempt. Two reasons for this is that kids usually refine bad habits at home, and coaches have no idea that the kid they're working with has already done 60 back walkovers earlier in the day. The problem is that some kids can't take that kind of abuse..... 60 at home plus 30 in the gym..... and they end up with back problems.

The arched handstand could be a simple fix, or not. Take a picture of her doing the handstand 5 times. Then have her draw a slight arch on a piece of paper, then a moderate arch, and then the more severe arch. Once done with that have her put the corresponding number for each arch to represent what she'd done during those five handstands.

Now..... show her the pictures. I'll bet she's surprised.

Kids that arch will get so used to that feeling that they begin to identify it as "straight" because straight feels normal..... until they go upside down. The thing is they seem to have a warped perception that kicks in about the same time they kick to a handstand.

See what happens if you ask her to bend into a rounded pike as she kicks to a handstand, and to hold the rounded pike during the handstand. She'll likely come close to eliminating the arch, and if you ask she'll say she's piked. Have her do another 5 handstands and take a picture of each.

Now..... show her the pictures. I'll bet she's surprised again.

It's not what we tell the kids that counts. What really matters is what they think they're doing.

The pictures are a great idea. I don't think she could hold a rounded pike in a handstand though. What about the walking up the wall handstand (belly and nose facing wall) and holding that in a rounded pike? Would that help? Or bad idea? Her coach talked to her about all the back walk overs so hoping that will help.

Yes, we have physiotherapists and you have physical therapists, but I'm pretty sure they're the same thing! It's great if you can find one who understands gymnastics, or if not, a dance physio would also be good.

I found a pediatric physical therapist.

 

[aerials]

My daughter had the opposite problem for awhile with her handstands. She was constantly piking them. Her coach told her to practice "growing" while in a handstand. She would practice handstands and after she hit her handstand she would try to "grow". Meaning she would engage all of her muscles to push her back/hips/legs/toes up further and then try to hold it. This might work for you too. Besides correcting her piking mistake it taught her body awareness while in a handstand.

 

[BlairBob]

She's 7 and seemingly weak. Of course she won't like the strength/conditioning.

I could see about setting up a rule like no gymnastics in the house unless she does her conditioning first.

 

[iwannacoach]

.....I don't think she could hold a rounded pike in a handstand though...../QUOTE]

A good handstand is going to be slightly rounded, so she needs to work on that shape before she can expect success. How that work is done and what it looks like is up to her coach as it's not a simple matter of just being put in the shape and told to remember it. There are muscles in her arms and shoulders that *would* have developed during repeated efforts made toward a proper handstand. So she has to buy into any exercises the coach has her work through.

The purpose of the process of taking her picture while she tries a rounded pike is to show her how warped her perception is and to get her to believe she has a genuine problem...... kinda like the first step of a "twelve step" program. Your role is to be the one who takes the time to show her the depth of the problem.

Hello, my name is Suzie and I'm an archoholic......

 

[iwannacoach]

A good handstand is going to be slightly rounded, so she needs to work on that shape before she can expect success. How that work is done and what it looks like is up to her coach as it's not a simple matter of just being put in the shape and told to remember it. There are muscles in her arms and shoulders that *would* have developed during repeated efforts made toward a proper handstand. So she has to buy into any exercises the coach has her work through.

The purpose of the process of taking her picture while she tries a rounded pike is to show her how warped her perception is and to get her to believe she has a genuine problem...... kinda like the first step of a "twelve step" program. Your role is to be the one who takes the time to show her the depth of the problem.

Hello, my name is Suzie and I'm an arch-o-holic......