Fitness and Muscle

Since the mid nineties it has been thought that strengthening the abs with crunches could help to reduce back pain.  However it now seems that this may not be the case.

Work carried out in an Australian physiotherapy lab in the mid 90’s, which theorized that increased abdominal strength could decrease back pain, may not be as foolproof as once thought.

The study led to an array of products and books promising washboard abs and even fitness and sports instructors took the claims on board.  Most of us were taught to pull our belly in with our backs tight to the floor when doing crunches or situps, but it now seems that this puts increased pressure on the spine and could increase back pain.

What should you do to get Washboard Abs?

Forget doing a thousand crunches with your belly sucked in.  Instead you should focus on working the group of muscles that form your core.  Perform exercises that work your abs but also keep your back straight.

Push ups force your core muscles to stabilize the trunk, keeping your back straight and working your mid-section at the same time.  Planks and side bridges are also good exercises to help strengthen the core.  If doing crunches don’t draw the stomach in.  Allow the abs to bulge out on the upward motion of the exercise.  This way you’ll put less strain on your back.

By working on all the core muscles and not just the abs, you may avoid back discomfort and you should see more balanced definition, than if you were to just do crunches.