My feet won't stay down during sit ups!?

When you do situps, you can 'cheat' by using your main 'hip flexor' muscles to do the work instead of your abdominal muscles.

These large internal muscles cause your body to 'jack-knife' around the hip joint which acts as a hinge.

If this is happening, your feet can't stay on the ground, because your legs weigh less than the weight of your body, arms and head.

In a 'proper' situp (which should really be called a 'spinal roll'), your upper body curls upwards, while everything below your belly-button stays still.

You can improve the way you do these by starting with your head, and doing the whole thing in stages. Firstly, your head comes off the floor while your shoulders stay down. When your head has risen as far as it can, your shoulders start to rise, but your upper and lower back STAY ON THE FLOOR.

Next, your ribcage starts to 'roll' off the floor, BUT (very important) the bones of your lumbar spine should still be in contact with the ground.

This stage can be made much easier by breathing out completely, so that your ribcage can 'compress' together.

Finally, your lower back can leave the floor ONE BONE AT A TIME. This last stage will cause you to 'sit up' automatically, because the weight of your head and shoulders is now curled down towards your hips, instead of being a long way away. That means that your legs 'seem' heavier (they have a 'leverage advantage').

If your habitual standing posture is 'hyperextended' (arching your back), you will find it difficult to make the whole of your back touch the ground at the start of the situp movement. If you can slide your fingers between your Lumbar Vertebrae (lower back bones) and the ground while lying on your back, this indicates hyperextension. You will need to learn how to press these bones on the ground before you do a situp properly.

A Pilates class (or book) can teach you how to perform a 'pelvic curl' or 'pelvic tilt'. Doing this at the start of each situp will make the proper action easier.

If you are doing the situp (spinal roll) correctly, it can still be hard to 'sit up' at the end if your knees are too bent (because this moves the weight of your feet closer to your upper body, making them 'seem' lighter.

Straightening your legs out A BIT can help to restore the leverage balance.

(IMPORTANT: you can do spinal rolls perfectly safely with your legs straight, IF your rolling action is good. But trying to do them with an INCORRECT rolling action can damage your spine, with or without straight legs.)

You can also use crunches to improve your situp action. Try to 'squeeze' a bit of extra movement into each crunch (like trying to headbut your own thighs). The extra strength this produces in your abdominals will concentrate the situp movement on these muscles instead of your hip flexors.

Tattoos on the foot are quite painfull and you do tend to move when the artist hits certain parts but they do hold your foot or leg depending which part of the foot they are doing. The best advice I can give you is to stay calm and breathe through the pain cos I've found if you hold your breath or tense up it hurts more also take a sugary drink or a lolly pop to keep your sugar levels high.

Keep your heels as far away from your buttocks as possible and therefore the weight of your legs will keep your feet on the ground.

u have to train at thes in your home before the test

let any one in your familly hold your legs

do one whith someone hold

then another with no one

try thes it will be good

excersize your feet they might be to weak to stay on the ground or concentrate on your feet.....either one works :-]]

Stick them under your couch or bed

use momentum by swining your arms back then all the way forward when you sit-up.

wow,...stick them down on something...maybe a couch??

concentrate!