If I asked a room full of people what the most effective abdominal exercise was, undoubtably they would say Sit Ups.
But are Sit Ups really your best choice?
The Rectus Abdominis known as the 6 Pack is one of the outer corset of the core. The inner corset is the Transversus Abdominis. The Rectus Abdominis runs vertically from the breastbone to pubic bone. It functions to bend the trunk forward but it doesn’t attach to the spine, so it doesn’t give it direct support.
When you do Sit Ups, you train your Rectus Abdominis to pull your spine into flexion. Often due to obsessive overtraining (hundreds of sit ups), poor posture and emotional stress, it can become overly short and tight. When this happens, a few things can occur:
- The chest and pelvis will be drawn closer to each other, which will flatten the lumbar spine putting excessive pressure on the lumbar disks.
- Poor breathing due to downward drag of the ribcage
- Imbalance of the abdominal muscles with the Rectus Abdominis being dominant and the Transverse Abdominis underworking. Because of that your back muscles have to work harder to keep you upright, which will lead to low- or mid-back pain.
- A slumped posture will form, when the pelvis is tucked under, the shoulders are hunched forward and the lower back becomes flat.
If you suffer from low- or mid-back pain and you think your shortened abdominals may be the culprit of your pain, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me! Your condition is fixable and together we could easily make your pain go away!
I freed up some time on my schedule, so click on this link and grab the time that works best for you and let’s talk on the phone! I’ll explain how I can help you eliminate your pain, even if you live on the other side of the country!
