Cardio Exercises, Part 5 (Abdominal Crunches)

Keeping your abdominal muscles strong keeps your body stable and upright. Your tummy muscles that are also called core muscles include muscles in your lower back, hips, and butt. The best way to maintain the strength of your core muscles is through abdominal crunches or the sit-ups exercises.

Importance of abdominal crunches

Sit-ups strengthen your lower back. Harvard School of Medicine, in numerous studies, impress on the importance of making the abdominal muscles strong. Those who suffer from lower-back pain at some point in their life, have weak abdominal muscles. The weak muscles in the abdomen give more workload to the spine for the maintenance of balance. The overworked muscles of spine become rigid and painful, resulting to lower-back pain.

Strong abdominal muscles make everyday activities easier. You may not notice or know it that you use your abdominal muscles for physical activity every day and in every hour of the day. Even sitting down before your office desk engages your abdominal muscles. Standing, lifting, pushing, carrying groceries, twisting, packing away things and taking garbage out of the house require the use of abdominal muscles. Taking a minute to sit tall or to stand tall while contracting your abdominal muscles will not only adjust your posture. It will also ward off any soreness in your lower back.

Making your core muscles strong can improve your stability and balance. This is particularly important for the seniors who are at risk of falling and slipping in uneven terrain.

Strong abdominal muscles help in injury-prevention. A 2007 study from the “Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology” found that increased in core strength reduced injuries in those whose jobs required awkward positions – such as firefighters – by 42 percent over the period of one year.

How many sit-ups do you need to do in your exercise routine?

If you’re a beginner, do 10 sit-ups in three sets. If you’re an intermediate exerciser, do 15 sit-ups in four sets. If you have been exercising for quite a while now, do 30 sit-ups in five sets. Don’t overdo or bore yourself because there are many variations in abdominal crunches. Visit YouTube to view the right way to do them.