Published at 09/28/2018December 20, 2018 In Category Back Pain, physical therapy Tags: ab exercise, ab strength, ab workouts, back pain, bridges, core exercises, core workouts, lower back pain, plank
In most cases, strengthening is pretty easy. Find a weight, lift it up and down several times, and move onto the next exercise. But abdominal strengthening has continued to vex people, leading them to persist with the same standby exercises: sit-ups and crunches.
However, studies show that these exercises can lead to back pain and most people don’t even use their abs for sit-ups! Full sit-ups involve heavy use of the hip flexors; while it’s important to strengthen this muscle group too, this exercise isn’t accomplishing the desired goal.
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So, skip the sit-ups! Here are a few exercises that are both easier on your back and harder on your abs, giving you more bang for your buck while helping you avoid low back pain.
These may look easy, but planks are a challenging full body exercise that force you to activate your entire core. Prop up either onto your elbows (low plank) or hands (high plank), maintain a rigid core and hold! The amount of time is up to you but you should stop when your abdomen starts to drop toward the floor; this is a sign of fatigue. If possible, perform this exercise alongside a mirror at first so you can gauge proper hip and pelvis position.
When working on abdominal strengthening, most people neglect their obliques, or the muscles along either side of your abdomen. One good way to strengthen them is with side planks! Start by lying on your side, then prop onto your elbow or hand and lift your hips off the ground. Again, the hold time is up to you but you should stop when your abdomen starts to droop. Make sure you stay nice and level too! Most people tend to lean too far forward. Performing this exercise in front of a mirror at first is a good way to learn proper side plank position.
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Patients who have seen a physical therapist for low back pain before might be familiar with this one. Bird dogs are a great exercise for many muscle groups, including your lower back and core. Start in a kneeling position with your hands on the ground (or a mat). Extend one arm and the opposite leg while contracting your abdomen to maintain a level core. Slowly lower both extremities to the floor and repeat with the other side. Ideally, the extended arm and leg will be completely horizontal but the most important part of this exercise is keeping your trunk nice and stable.
Bridges are another old standby exercise for hip and core strengthening. Start on your back with your knees bent. Squeeze your glutes and your abdomen and lift your hips off the ground. Push all the way up until your abdomen is completely level, hold for a second or two and lower back to the ground. Longer holds are OK too but could put unwanted stress on your lower back if you don’t maintain a tight core. For an additional challenge, try flexing one hip and performing the exercise on just one leg!With summer in full swing, there’s not a better time to talk about core training. But this isn’t just your typical core-training article. This is an evidence-based, no-nonsense article that will help you learn how to truly train your core. No crunches or sit-ups, just functionality. Let’s learn how to tighten your center with these core exercises!
Believe it or not, the core is not just about getting six-pack abs. In fact, the core’s function is to stiffen the torso and prevent motion. Many people believe that power and stability come from the core. So what exactly does the core consist of?
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Well, according to Dr. Stuart Mcgill (a leading researcher in core training), it consists of the quadratus lumborum, the lumbar spine, the muscles of the abdominal wall, and the back extensors. It is also important to appreciate that the latissimus dorsi and psoas are two muscles that pass through the core; therefore, they play an integral role. Finally, because of the anatomic connections to the pelvis, the glute muscles may be considered as fundamental to the core. Effective core exercises should engage all of these muscles.
Grab our FREE Beginners Workout Guide - 3 Weeks To Tighter Abs, Sculpted Arms, And Toned Legs, by clicking here! [tweet_quote]Your core isn’t just your abs — it includes glute and pelvic muscles, too.[/tweet_quote]
What is important to understand is that the function of the core is to help transfer energy between the upper and lower body. The days of doing thousands of crunches are gone, and research has shown that excessive spinal flexion can be quite harmful for the spinal discs. Instead, we should be performing core exercises to train your center as it was intended to function, which is to help prevent motion. However, many core exercises and programs do the contrary. The Problems with Core Training
Abdominal Exercises That Won't Hurt Your Back • Cathe Friedrich
One of the most common problems I see with core training is the excessive amount of spinal flexion. In other words, situps and crunches dominate most programs. While you may feel like you’re working your core, it’s actually an inefficient way to train. The other common problem I see is not enough core work. The popular belief is that performing major, compound exercises (such as the squat and deadlift) are sufficient for training your core, but they probably aren’t. Furthermore, most need to train their core more to properly perform those exercises!
Many of the potentially harmful exercises I see are crunches that involve twisting; the core’s function is not to initiate motion, but to provide stiffness. Rather than training the core in flexion and rotation, we want to train the core in three different ways: Anti-Extension, Anti-Rotation, and Anti-Lateral Flexion. [tweet_quote] Crunches — especially the twisting kind — can promote stiffness and be harmful to your fitness regimen overall.[/tweet_quote]
First, the purpose of anti-extension exercises is to resist extension of the spine. A common mistake when someone has weakness of the core is to default into an extended lower back, which can place additional stress on that area. Thus, anti-extension core exercises are crucial to proper core stability.
How To Work Your Abs Without Neck Or Back Pain
Next, the purpose of anti-rotation is to resist rotation at the spine. Your hips should be your primary drivers of rotation. However, common trends in the fitness world have exercises that rotate at the spine. The core is designed to resist motion, not initiate it!
Lastly, the purpose of anti-lateral flexion exercises is to resist side-bending of the spine. These exercises ensure that our core stabilizes our trunk in a nice, straight position—instead of leaning towards one side with our upper bodies, which unilaterally creates undue stress. Exercises
Lie on the floor. Pick your feet up, and bend your knees to approximately 90°. Extend your arms, so your hands are above your head. Brace your core, forcefully exhale, and contract the muscles around your trunk (including lats). Slowly drop one leg towards the floor, return the leg to the starting position, and repeat with the opposite leg. Reset between each rep. The key is to maintain tension the entire time. You should only feel the front of your core. Repeat 5-10 reps per side. Stir the Pot
The Best Abs Exercises (that Won't Hurt Your Back) Full 10 Minute Abs Workout For Bad Backs
Get on your hands and knees with your forearms on the ball. Get into a plank position with your legs straight, and flatten your back by bracing your core. Next, begin to rotate your arms—like you are stirring a pot in a clockwise position. Be sure not to let your torso move, or your lower back extend/arch. When you get back to the starting position, repeat in the counterclockwise position. Bird Dog
Get on all fours. Brace your core, so that your back is in a flat position. From here, begin to lift your arm off the floor—without rotating or extending your torso. Once you are able to achieve this, repeat with both your arm and opposite leg—continuing to brace the core. Pallof Press
Grab onto a light cable or resistance band, stand in an athletic position, brace your core, and fully extend your arm. Do not allow your upper body to dominate the movement, rather than your core muscles. If you are feeling your arms more than your core muscles, decrease the tension. Side Plank
Ab Exercises That Won't Hurt Your Lower Back Or Neck Joanna Soh
To start, choose a side to start with, and place your arm directly under your shoulder. With your feet together, lift your side off the floor and brace your core.
Training the core is not what it used to be. Each year, thousands of people will injure their back. Many of these people could prevent that with proper education about core training. Now that you know the right way to train the core, get after it!
Dr. Brian Schwabe, PT, DPT, SCS, CSCS is a Board Certified Sports Physical Therapist, Strength Coach, Author, and Fitness Consultant. After Brian concluded his sports physical therapy residency with USC, he went on to achieve board certification in sports physical therapy, placing him in the top 1%
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