Why Sit-Ups Suck

You have finally decided to “get back in shape” and work on your core, especially now that summer is starting and you would like to look good in your bathing suit.  So what exercises do you do to work your core?  If you are like most people, and myself included sometimes, you go back to the basics of what you know and learned as a kid.  Most likely you have had a routine in the past and you fall back into the same old exercises.  Let me guess, the sit-up or crunch is one of them?  But should you really be doing these sit-ups and crunches? 

The answer to that question is NO!  Sit-ups are one of the worst exercises you can do for your core and can actually cause damage in your low back.   You are probably thinking, I’ve done sit-ups and crunches for years and never have had a problem.  That’s great, but just because you don’t feel pain or discomfort doesn’t mean you aren’t damaging your discs or spine.   Stuart McGill, one of the leading experts in spinal motions and core stability, stated that repetitive bending (flexion) of the spine, as during crunches, can damage the spinal discs over time because it places extreme amount of force into the discs.

In a study from June 1995 in “Clinical Biomechanics,” McGill looks at how the sit-up affects the lower spine.  It was found that both bent and straight legged sit-ups place over 3,000 N of force (about 674 lbs) on the lower spine.  This amount of force can promote bulges or herniations of your discs, nerve damage or even compression of the vertebra. 

Don’t believe me?  Check out McGill’s own words here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=033ogPH6NNE

The core is essential for providing stability to the low back and pelvis and must be balanced so you can play and work out hard.  There are several muscles in the core (not just the front abdomen muscles) and you musttarget all of them.  If you work one more than the others you may be at risk of pulling your spine out of alignment.

I am guilty of jumping back into crunches because I can “feel the burn” and afterwards I feel like I have done a good job at targeting my core.  However, it’s a mental game and mindset that we need to change.   Workouts and research on exercises are ever evolving and if you continue to do something just because it’s what you are used to you are not helping your body become the best it can.  So ditch the sit-ups and crunches and try these exercises instead.

Bird-dog (minute 2:20 in the video above)
Plank
Side plank (minute 2:20)
Dead bug
Glute bridge

Any Questions?!

Dr. Lee Chiropractic, Johns Creek, GA

www.drleechiro.com

770-559-4236