Daily when I visit the gym I am troubled by the many people I see training and doing lots and lots of crunches, often under the guidance of a personal trainer. Maybe I should interfere and warn them, or maybe just wait and give them my card later to come for Body Stress Release when their back is in pain. I guess they are under the misapprehension that crunches strengthen your abdominal muscles and of course that “six-pack” looks great.
Stuart McGill, professor of spine biomechanics at the University of Waterloo in Canada has conducted dozens of studies replicating the movement of the spine when doing crunches.
After replicating the flexing of the human spine, he examined the discs and found they had been squeezed to the point where they bulg
ed. The discs then press on the back nerves causing pain. If you push through the pain (no pain no gain myth) you could end up with a herniated disc.
A 1995 study found sit-ups placed over 3,000N of force on the lower spine, which could cause herniated discs. Imagine willingly applying that force on any other part of your body through exercise? You wouldn’t.
You only have so many flexions in your spine before it starts to deteriorate. The more you flex your spine, reversing the natural curve, the more likely you are to injure it or herniate a disc. That’s fact. So why would you actively try to flex your spine at its most vulnerable point causing it to age faster and further by damaging the discs?
Another problem with crunches and sit-ups is that this movement does nothing for your posture. Think about it: what is a crunch? You are just replicating the bent over movement you make when you’re sat at a desk or slumped in a seat. In the Body Stress Release community we call this “reversing the curve” i.e. reversing the natural curve of the spine. As you will see in the picture of the lumbar (lower back) spine, you are putting the discs under pressure in this position.
A further problem with crunches is that they don’t work the core muscles properly. This leaves your core weaker, less powerful, and more susceptible to problems.
Crunches, sit-ups and double leg raises aren’t functional. They don’t replicate ANY natural movement that our bodies were designed for. Our bodies thrive on exercises in alignment with their function. Crunching isn’t a natural movement. It actively opposes the purpose of the spine and works against it. We are meant to be upright and be able to bend, twist, reach and extend. When you do these isolated exercises, you do feel the burn. But it’s a fake burn – it feels good, but does it actually deliver results?
Crunches miss your core muscles. The narrow range of exercise does nothing to strengthen your deep abdominal muscles, your transversus abdominis, or your obliques. Crunches only work your rectus abdominis close to your skin. So the abs you do end up with tell a lie. They don’t represent strength or inner power. Your core is no stronger for having these “cosmetic” abs. In fact, they put your midsection out of balance and increase the risk of injury.
If you want to strengthen your core, my advice is to get help from a good biokineticist who would be able to help you with effective exercises and how to do them correctly. If you have back pain from incorrect exercise or injury, a Body Stress Release practitioner will be able to gently and effectively release the muscle tension which will help your body to heal itself.