Name the three best ‘ab-exercises’ you know.

If sit-ups feature you need to read this, because you’d be wrong.

Once considered the gold standard exercise for achieving stronger abdominals, lying on your back (bent knees, hands by your ears) as you force-fling yourself up, might be doing you more harm than good, and could even make your belly bulge out more.

One of the reasons for this, according to Harvard Health experts, is that “sit-ups are hard on your back” and may be potentially damaging, as “they push your curved spine against the floor and work your hip flexors, the muscles that run from the thighs to the lumbar vertebrae in the lower back. When the hip flexors are too strong or too tight, they tug on the lower spine, which can create lower back discomfort.”

In other words, the more sit-ups you do, the more likely you are to injure your back, and ultimately set-back your training. In fact, a study published in the Journal of Physical Therapy based on American soldiers found that 56 per cent of all injuries relating to the “old fitness test” administered by army officials, were directly linked to sit-ups.

Fortunately, there are many safer and more effective ways to strengthen your core, which essentially includes all muscles between your chest and your hips, including the rectus abdominus, aka “six-pack” muscles, the transverse abdominus (core stabilisers), the pelvic floor, as well as your obliques (side abs).

If you’re looking to improve overall strength, balance, posture and body image, here are three exercises you should be practicing, recommended by the American Council of Exercise (ACE) and other fitness professionals.

Skip the sit-ups, and…

• Do the hollow body – Lie flat with your legs extended, hovering above the ground, reaching arms behind your head for around 20-30 seconds. The key is to have your lower back pressed against the floor the whole time. The more you can lower your legs, the harder it gets.

• Crank that plank – There are many variations when it comes to planking. To perform the standard forearm plank, “keep the back straight, elbows beneath the shoulders and concentrate on engaging and contracting all of the muscles in the body,” explains ACE. If need be, come onto your knees for a “modified plank” or take a moment to rest.

• Bear crawl – Start in a push-up position, hands shoulder width apart, lowering your knees until they are just off the ground. Then begin to crawl very slowly by moving the right hand forward as the left leg steps in, left hand forward as the right leg steps in, continuing along a straight path whilst trying not to let the hips sway from side to side.

Of course, there are plenty of other great exercises that will help you to get your core muscles firing.  Do some research and choose new exercises to practice for just a few minutes each day. Make sure you are doing the proper form and stop should you experience any pain that’s unrelated to the targeted muscle groups. Consult with a qualified health professional before beginning any new exercise regime if you have any concerns.

References

ACE Fitness.org. Ab Exercises [online] https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/lifestyle/exercise-library/101/side-plank-with-straight-leg/

Bubnis. D. What Are the Benefits of Flutter Kicks and How Do You Safely Do Them? Available at Healthline [online] https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/flutter-kicks#safety

Childs. J. et al (2010) Effects of traditional sit-up training versus core stabilization exercises on short-term musculoskeletal injuries in US Army soldiers: a cluster randomized trial. Available at the Journal of Physical Therapy [online] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20651013/

Firpo. T. The 15 Best Abs Exercises Of All Time. Available at Women’s Health [online] https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a19996405/best-ab-exercises/

Harvard Health. Want a stronger core? Skip the sit-ups. Available [online] https://www.google.com/search?q=why+sit-ups+are+bad&oq=why+sit-ups+are+bad&aqs=chrome..69i57.3681j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Harris-Fry. N. (2020) Why Sit-Ups Don’t Give You a Six-Pack. Available at Coachmag [online] https://www.coachmag.co.uk/exercises/lower-ab-exercises/3544/why-sit-ups-wont-help-you-get-a-six-pack

International Sports Science Association. Are Sit Ups Bad for You? The U.S. Military Seems to Think So… Available at ISSA [online] https://www.issaonline.com/blog/index.cfm/2016/are-sit-ups-bad-for-you-the-us-military-seems-to-think-so

Schneider. G. Sit-up related injuries reported to the US Army Safety Centre. 1980-1998. Available [online] https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a393214.pdf