Are Sit-Ups Dangerous?
In past years many people
have condemned the sit-up exercise, in which you move from your back to a full
sitting position. It’s claimed that the
sit-up is dangerous because the motion requires that your hip-flexors (the
muscles that flex the hip joints) pull on your lower back. This action is thought to put pressure on
your lower spinal disks. The common
replacement is the crunch, in which you lift your torso up to only about 30
degrees off the floor, while keeping your lower back on the floor.
The fact is that, for both
the sit-up and the crunch, the pressure in your disks is naturally increased,
as it would be the case when you rise from bed every morning. Regardless of which exercise you choose, if
it is performed incorrectly, it can be dangerous. If you do the exercise properly, then the crunch
and the sit-ups are both safe and effective exercises to target the midsection. The sit-up, however, is considered to be the
better exercise to improve physical function, because sitting up from a lying
position is a natural activity, and the abs and hip-flexors work together in
the real world.
To perform the crunch and
sit-up correctly, it’s important you raise the torso in a sequential pattern by
moving up segmentally, starting with the head, then the upper back, the
mid-back, the lower back, and then, finally, the pelvis.
All exercises are safe if
performed properly, and this includes the traditional sit-up that has been used
for thousands of years by our ancestors every morning when they rise!
Write for us
Are you interested in contributing content to
HyperStrike? By all means, send us your article and contact info.
Like what you read? Share it with your friends!
Back to top