Sit Ups Cause Pain

[M-3 Gal]

has anybody else had a problem doing ab exercises???? I can do cardio and even run, but when it comes to abs....forget it. What gives???? I have not even been diagnosed yet, but have been gluten free for two weeks while I go through all the test and feel much better and getting back to normal exercise wise, but the sit up deal is driving me crazy. Any help would be appreciated.

[Nancym]

Describe the pain. Is it muscle soreness or something else? I saw something recently where a woman ruptured an ovarian cyst doing sit-ups. That is very painful.

[jerseyangel]

The ovarian cyst is a possibility

Is the pain sharp, and very low in the abdominal region--possibly off to one side?

I am right now dealing with both ovarian cysts and a rather large fibroid. (I go back in 5 months for another ultrasound so we can determine what, if anything, is to be done)

I do Pilates--which focuses greatly on the "core". For the time being, I'm not doing this because it causes pelvic pain.

[M-3 Gal]

no it is not that kind of pain....more like fatigue like I have done 100 sit ups instead of 3.....is it because the gluten in my body is aggrevating my stomach????? it is so strange!

[plantime]

It could be that your intestines are inflamed from the gluten, and doing the situps squashes, pinches and aggravates them more. I suggest trying ab exercises that don't involve folding yourself in half and seeing if they hurt the same way.

[mle-ii]

no it is not that kind of pain....more like fatigue like I have done 100 sit ups instead of 3.....is it because the gluten in my body is aggrevating my stomach????? it is so strange!

Could be gluten. Does the pain feel like the pain you get when you do some new exercise or do something that you haven't done in a long time? How long have you been doing situps like this and notice the pain?

[Ashley]

I suffer from the exact thing. I don't know what causes it either. Upper to middle stomach and hurts whether I've gotten into gluten or not.

-Ash

[Guest ~jules~]

I have worked out for the last 5 years religiously, yes even when I started getting sick. There were times when my stomach was bothering me so much I didn't dare do my ab workout. Do you do abs on a regular basis? If so are you giving your muscles a resting period of a couple days before you work them again?

[KerriAnne]

Here are a few ab exercises to do without crunching.....

1. Plank: push-up position except you are on your forearms rather than your hands. Hold your body flat as a plank from head to heels, and hold your core tight (imagine pulling your belly button to your spine). Hold for 15 seconds to start, build up to 1 minute. To increase challenge, increase time holding the position.

2. Oblique Side Raise: lie on right side & fold arms across chest. Keep legs together & lift them off the floor as you reach your top (left) elbow toward your hip. This is a small but effective movement for the obliques. 10 reps on each side.

3. Knee Raise (lower abs): lie on back with feet flat on floor (knees bent), and hands on floor by your hips. Use lower abs to bring knees up toward chest, then slowly return feet back to floor to starting position. As feet barely touch floor, bring knees back up to chest. 12 reps. Control movement on way up & down.

Since these exercises do not involve crunching your middle, see if you can do these without pain.

I often have an indescribable pain in my abdomen that isn't likely muscular or gas pain. It's aggravated by sucking in my stomach. Pain is so hard to describe, but maybe this is something like what you have. Anyhow, when I have this pain, ab exercises are tough, but I seem to be able to do the ones listed above more comfortably even with this pain.

Good luck!

[spunky]

I work out but no longer very fond of sit-ups. They used to make me need the restroom immediately afterward, and I just eventually got out of the habit of doing them. Go to the nearest park and get on a swing, then swing away with all the little kids for a long time. You really use your abs in pulling on the chains and propelling yourself forward that way, especially if you keep your feet sticking straight out the whole time.

[Robina]

I work out but no longer very fond of sit-ups. They used to make me need the restroom immediately afterward, and I just eventually got out of the habit of doing them. Go to the nearest park and get on a swing, then swing away with all the little kids for a long time. You really use your abs in pulling on the chains and propelling yourself forward that way, especially if you keep your feet sticking straight out the whole time.

If you really feel you need to have your sit ups... try crunches... smaller range of motion but more effective than sit ups... better yet if you have a gym that uses pin loaded machines... check out what their ab machines have to offer... some are okay provided you perform the exercise properly...

[glutenfreebaker]

no it is not that kind of pain....more like fatigue like I have done 100 sit ups instead of 3.....is it because the gluten in my body is aggrevating my stomach????? it is so strange!

If it's that type of pain... then you're just incredibly out of shape in that area. Try to do 3 or 4 and then stop and each day try to add two or three more. I had that same feeling when I started working out my core, but it goes away after a while.