Any bellydancers?

Thought i would reply to this to bump it up hoping that you get some more replies! I have never done belly dancing but people have told me it is alot of fun!

Have fun with it. I use to do it and would like to get back into it. work with technique it will come.

It does take a while to develop all the right muscles, don't rush it, just concentrate on technique not what it looks like on the outside, remember alway to protect your spine by not forcing the move, and dane for yourself, You will find it all comes together really fast if you don't fret about it.

When I used to teach I had a lot of people referred to me by a local birthing center once they were cleared to exercise. I ended up asking for advice from some of the nurses and yes, it may have a little to do with it. As someone else here pointed out it took a year and lots of hormones for all those muscles and tendons to get stretched. It's going to take some time for them to go back to the original shape. One person suggested trying to do the isolations laying down and that is worth a try. You might also find that leaning over while standing up and placing one hand on the lower section of your stomach with the other on the upper section will help you see the isolation more. Leaning over also seems to help those over stretched muscles/tendons learn what they're supposed to do better and can sometimes make it a little easier. You can even start by just leaning over and sticking your entire stomach out and then pulling it in a few times to work the muscles up to it first.

Learning to isolate the muscles that you've never really used before is HARD! Mostly, it takes a lot of practice. Some people also find that trying to contract each set of muscles while you're laying on the floor helps. In bellydance, the abs are divided into three sections: upper, middle, and lower. Eventually, you'll be able to move each group separately (and sometimes even break the categories down even more). Just spend a few minutes concentrating on it every day, and results will come!

Hi! I used to follow a tape to learn bellydancing and from what I have been following, the movements are concentrated on the footworks. So you just have to pay attention to your foot movements and eventually your lower abs will start moving.

Keep practicing! I began belly dance 30 years ago, when my eldest was newborn. It helped me get in shape like nothing else! Just keep at it! And don't forget, you just had a baby! It took almost a year, and lots of pregnancy hormones for your pregnancy to go full term. Give your body about a year to eliminate all the hormones. Dont give up! Keep doing those isometrics! It takes practice and you will learn to isolate your lower abs!