[Runemist34]

Those sorts of injuries for muscles are pretty common when you’re overstraining. I did that to my bicep not long ago (in August), trying to train for pull-ups that I am NOT ready for. I felt fine all day after my workout, and it was only the next day when I started to feel a little discomfort.
It wasn’t till I was crying from the pain that I conceeded I should have a sling, and went to the doctor. It didn’t take too long after that for it to repair, but I’ve been wary of that training ever since.
It really depends on HOW you are getting into that position, because there are a lot of factors to the basic invert that, if done wrong, can result in injury. Your end result doesn’t look too bad!
And yes, Veena is correct- 4 months (if you were poling for all of November) is pretty short, and even 6 months can be not long enough. It all depends on your body, how it reacts, and any physical fitness prior to starting! You might be ready, we just don’t know 😉
Is it possible you could get a video of your invert? Veena is excellent at determining these things!

[Runemist34]

Looks like a wrap skirt to me. Maybe you could also look at dancing places (where one usually buys leotards and such) and see if they have anything?

[Runemist34]

Good to know, thank you! I always feel the stretch in my hip flexors, so I think I’m doing alright on that. Definitely no hyperextension in my body! All my joints and muscles are moderately flexible at best, to extremely tight at worst 😉 But it’s getting better as I work on it 🙂

[Runemist34]

Wow, you can actually grab your leg though! That’s amazing! There’s no WAY I’m doing that right now 😛

[Runemist34]

I concur on the squared hips! I’m doing my best these days to keep them square and keep my back straight. It does curve a bit, though, as it does when I’m standing as well.
I would love to be working on my scorpion pose, but there is no WAY my quads or hip flexors are loose enough yet! Weird for me that my quads would be such a problem- I thought they were fine! But, they’re getting there.
I tried doing my round of stretching twice, the first time light and the second deeper (I would have done a third but I was tired and wanted my shower!), and it sure worked well! So, thank you for that 🙂
I’ve also been stretching my shoulders- I want that bridge! I realized that a lot of the problem is in my shoulders, so I’ve been trying to stretch them out and teach them that they can, actually, do that 😉

[Runemist34]

I don’t think we can upload pictures or videos directly from our phones… you can always transfer them to your computer, though, and upload them to the site on there!
And Neesy’s move is still called the Teddy here too- it’s tough! I’ve been working on that one, too 😉

[Runemist34]

Hey Ambience!
I can totally relate to the challenge of being a “Thick girl,” though I wouldn’t call myself fat by any means. As a friend said last weekend, “There is just nothing dainty about us!” and she is so right. I’m 5’7″, and since starting running, I’m maintaining a 200lb steady weight. I am NOT small! I’m also mostly all leg and hip, so… that one gets to be fun 😛
I think it can be a bit tough for us seeing so many beautiful dancers who have long, lovely legs and arms, and seem so lean. I’ve thought previously that I would love to have a longer torso, to balance me out, and so that people would stop telling me “Well, you don’t LOOK like you’re that little!” when I tell them I’m smaller around my middle than they think.
However, I think there are far more of us than we think, and I think that our proportions are something to celebrate! We only need to work just a little harder to get our hips up over our heads- and we don’t have to work nearly as hard to lock our legs around the pole and be able to balance upright 😉 Everyone has their own challenges, and with love and determination, we can all be awesome at what we want to do!

As for putting up a picture, you can upload a picture of you from your computer onto the site. You do it through your profile page, which you can find if you click on your name over to the right 🙂

Welcome to SV! Excited to see you around here 🙂

[Runemist34]

That’s actually really interesting to do! I hadn’t considered stretching that way 🙂 It’s been a while since I looked at Veena’s flexibility lessons, obviously! I’m gonna try it tomorrow, after my run, and see how it goes!

[Runemist34]

Wow, Phoenix, you look awesome in those pictures! Your splits look great to me 🙂 And it’s nice to know that I’m not the only one who tries to keep those splits square whenever possible!

I’ll have pictures for the end of Feb up soon… but I’m not expecting much (or any) progress. I was stuck, sick, on a week off and feel like I lost a bunch of flexibility! I could almost touch the ground with my feet slightly apart, and now… not so much. Ugh! Silly hamstrings.

I’m also going to try to pick up Felix Cane’s flexibility routine- I have her DVD set, and that was probably the best of all of them, very thorough. So, I’m interested to see if it helps me! Once I have the moves down, it’ll be a lot easier for me to stretch after running, too.

I don’t usually do my flexibility training for that long- maybe 20 minutes? So, are you ladies holding your poses a really long time, or do you have a huge variety of them to do, and hold each for like a minute? Do you find more benefit in holding your poses for longer than a minute (as in, does it help in the long term, or just for that session)?

Happy stretching 😉

[Runemist34]

With so much feedback going on in this thread, it’s hard for me to keep up, but I will freely admit that I am no expert, and I was probably entirely wrong!
This thread has made me think about the ways I stretch my hips, and consider the ideas of different stretches, rather than the forward lunge.
When doing that stretch, I do my best to keep my spine straight (though I am certainly farther off than I’d like) and my hips aligned, but I am, again, no expert, and have little experience with looking at other people in those positions to determine what’s going on.
So, thank you to everyone in this thread that made me think about my quick judgements about popular stretches. I’m off to do more research!

[Runemist34]

Taking a look at the website itself, I’m not really filled with professional interest. Her credentials are minimal at best, and the explanations on the site about this particular stretch are all very specific to what you may or may not be doing. Things like keeping your spine straight and your pelvis level are still possible with the forward lunge- and, they may also be advisable.
However, my main argument would be this: I’m not seeing any indications that this “replacement stretch” is going to bring us closer to something like the front splits, nor am I seeing any indication that it would be an appropriate stretch for the hip flexors. It’s very poorly explained in these ways, and as the post moves into talking about this “replacement stretch,” it talks more about strength training, rather than flexibility.

The hips, and the rest of the body, are complicated things. What can be good for some people are not good for others. I have heard lots of people say that you shouldn’t roll your head in a complete circle, I’ve heard that running will cause my knees to feel even worse (since running, I have been out of chronic pain for a total of four months), I have heard that squats that bring your hips lower than your knees are doing absolutely nothing, or may even be damaging.

Few, and probably none of these things are true. But, we will always get conjecture and speculation, “advice” and recommendations as to what we’re supposed to be doing or not doing with our bodies.

However, I would be more inclined to trust results and science, than all of that. Thousands and thousands of ballet dancers, as well as other dancers (and other people besides), around the world, use the forward lunge stretch, and I have heard very little in the way of adverse effects, unless the person does it incorrectly, too hard, or has a particular issue with their hip.

So, that’s where my trust goes.

[Runemist34]

Probably best to ask your doctor or whoever is helping you with this decision! You can explain your needs and the ways your exercise may deal with the site of the implant, and see if they can come up with some solutions for you 🙂

[Runemist34]

Actually that’s a really good point, Phoenix! Here in Canada it’s actually crazy-difficult to get licencing for a show or venue to allow nudity, and there are some really strict regulations around it.
It would be a HUGE risk for that venue to just have nudity for one night without proper licensing.

[Runemist34]

Hey there!
So, it sounds like you felt really uncomfortable with someone being overtly sexual, and perhaps showing their lady-bits to a larger group. It also sounds like you’re pretty uncomfortable with someone doing this who is no longer a “young woman,” regardless of athleticism or physical skill.

Now, I’m going to say that YOUR opinion of these things is entirely YOURS. What you find aesthetically pleasing or not, or sexy or not, is entirely within your own world and your own mind. You may enjoy looking at muscular men, but not at women’s feet, for example. You may like men to have short hair, rather than long hair. A particular nose type, a smell, a turn of the hand- all of these things can either be pleasing or not, but they are NOT, and NEVER will be pleasing to ALL people. Not even the majority of people.
Personally, I think women are beautiful, fascinating and majestic creatures- I just got back from seeing a Valentine’s Burlesque show, which was full of women of various ages, sizes and body types (as well as movement styles and personality types), all doing beautiful, funny, engaging and artistic strip shows. And yes, they were STRIP shows, down to panties and pasties, usually. I loved it. I always do.
However, one line I do prefer to draw is at the lady-bits. I don’t really want to see what’s between a woman’s legs- personally, I feel uncomfortable with it. This is my own preference, my own issue, and that’s where it stays.
Other people do, in fact, enjoy seeing that. For them, it’s the hottest thing they’ve ever seen, or even just kinda hot, or even just interesting.
The fact that this 57 year old woman you’ve been describing was comfortable in herself enough to be able to strip fully down, for fun, is wonderful. She clearly felt safe, strong, and beautiful. That can be something to celebrate.
YOU may not have enjoyed seeing some parts of her body, but that does not mean that other people did not.
Also, I would point out that our society has a very strong stigma against anyone over the age of 30 being in any way overtly sexual. This is super unfortunate, and I think that people even well into their 60’s can be beautiful, sexy, and powerful. I do not necessarily think that they need to strip, and do not necessarily think they need to refrain from it. It’s up to them, and them alone, to determine the style of sexuality they would like to display, if they would like to do so at all.

As for your particular situation, I think that the question of “what is sexy” is one that only you can answer, because the question is really “What do YOU find sexy?” Personally, I don’t like the wavy-legs done in an open V, but not because I find it gross- I just find it weird. Other things that some people do that are not intended to be sexy can, to me, be very sexy! It’s all about the individual looking, and their opinion of what they like.

Also… what did you think the Teddy pose was actually intended for? I mean, pole dancing evolved, in many ways, in the strip club. A hold where the usual leg position is open V, and pointed toward the audience is pretty loud and proud about those lady-bits! It doesn’t HAVE to be done in that way, though. Do it your way, and others will do it their way.

[Runemist34]

I know what you mean! I’m totally that person who just wants to go up to someone on the bus and be like “Hey, you know you’re totally not wearing the right bra size, right?” I’ve done it once or twice at work. I really have to bite my tongue not to do it too much!
Good to know that Bare necessities and HerRoom are reliable, and that the spider back top seems to fit us larger chested ladies! I might have to check it out 😉