Although confusing and frustrating to the public, the health and fitness industry is ever-changing. The main reason, of course, is that new research is always being done and new discoveries are being made. The more we learn, the more our rules change.
This past weekend, I attended a fitness conference in which I learned groundbreaking information about the ineffectiveness and dangers of performing abdominal crunches on a hard surface. When you are in supine position (meaning face up) and are lying on a hard floor, you should not perform an abdominal crunch as it places pressure on the lumbar spine (low back) that can lead to back pain. In addition, being in this supine, flat position while curling upward has a very limited range of motion and therefore does not utilize the abdominal muscles efficiently. Many renowned fitness instructors are now stating that abdominal crunches are the last exercise they would choose to show clients or students.
If you have been experiencing low back pain, or you simply want to avoid it in the future, start doing abdominal work with lumbar support. This means utilizing something called a Bender ball (which is what I highly recommend) or simply placing a rolled towel underneath your tailbone (though the ball works much better.) Follow the link for the Bender ball and watch the video on the main page and you will learn how it works. You can also order it right from the web site. For the money, I highly recommend it.
I had the pleasure of being instructed by master trainer Leslee Bender, the developer of the Bender ball. Highly educated in physiology and exercise, Leslee showed me how much better it is to do abdominal exercises using the Bender ball. As someone who has suffered from back problems throughout my adult life, I was amazed at how much back support I felt using the Bender ball and how much better I felt after using it. I also noticed an enormous difference in how much more I was utilizing my core muscles.
Aside from crunches, there are many great exercises for building core strength. Planks are great, but I think it is necessary to strengthen the low back before doing advanced core exercises such as moving or rotating planks so you won't injure your back.
Some great low back strengtheners include back extensions and alternate superman.
And remember, it is important to "brace your core" whenever exercising. This does not mean "sucking it in". Instead, it means to tighten your core region. If you are having trouble with this, ask someone to pretend to punch you in the stomach. When you flinch, that is bracing your core. (It is a natural instinct we have to brace our core if we think we are going to get hit.) You also tighten your core when you go to the bathroom, FYI.
So check out the Bender ball and stop doing crunches on the floor. Your back will thank you for it.
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