Sit-ups hurt your lumbar spine! Do "crunches" instead to train your abdominal muscles

In order to slim down their belly and train their abdominal muscles, many people do sit-ups at home every day, hoping to get rid of their fat belly as soon as possible! In recent years, there have been many opinions opposing sit-ups both at home and abroad, and some believe that this exercise is harmful to the body. Fitness coaches have confirmed that sit-ups do increase pressure on the lower back and have no effect on slimming the belly! If you want to train your abdominal muscles, you might as well do the safe "crunch" exercise instead.

"Sit-ups" are an exercise that many people have been doing since childhood. When they were young, they competed with their friends to see who could do it faster and longer. When they grow up, they use it as a home exercise to lose belly fat. Unexpectedly, the actions that everyone is familiar with are actually accomplices in harming health.

Sit-ups put a lot of pressure on the cervical spine and lower back, which can easily cause injuries

Fitness coach Li Zheyu said that sit-ups put a great burden on the lumbar spine and coccyx, and the pressure will be applied near the pelvis when standing up. In particular, some people do sit-ups very quickly, and their backs bounce back immediately after touching the ground, which is very harmful to the lower back. Moreover, when doing sit-ups, many people have the habit of holding their heads with both hands, which can easily cause neck strain and damage the cervical spine.

In addition, sit-ups can only train the iliopsoas muscles near the hip joint, but cannot exercise the abdomen. Therefore, they are not very effective in reducing belly fat or training abdominal muscles.

Doing sit-ups instead will not hurt your body and will only be effective in exercising your abdominal muscles

If you want to train your abdominal muscles, coach Li Zheyu recommends doing the "crunch" exercise instead. First, lie flat on a cushion and bend your knees. When you stand up, only your shoulder blades should be off the ground, and your lower back should still be against the cushion. When you stand up, stay for about 1 to 2 seconds before lying down again, but you don't need to lie completely flat. Instead, you can stand up after your shoulders touch the ground, and your stomach will contract naturally. Do this 15 to 20 times in a set, 3 to 4 sets a day, to train your abdominal muscles.

When doing sit-ups, remember to keep your breathing smooth, exhale when you stand up, inhale when you lie down, and do not hold your breath. In addition, remember to use a yoga mat or other mat with moderate hardness to do crunches. Do not lie directly on the floor or bed. A hard floor can cause back pain, and a mattress that is too soft will not provide adequate support for the spine, which will prevent you from exercising your muscles. As for the timing of exercise, there is no special restriction during the day, but it is not suitable right after a meal. Remember to rest for 1 to 2 hours after a meal before exercising.

On the other hand, if you want to train your abdominal muscles and slim your belly, besides doing sit-ups, what should you do with your diet?

The human body has abdominal muscles. Exercise more to make them firm.

Coach Li Zheyu said that abdominal muscles are actually muscles that the human body has, but most people must exercise and lose fat to see the lines of the abdominal muscles. This is because there is too much fat above the abdominal muscles, covering the muscles below. Therefore, people with very thin bodies may be able to see their abdominal muscles "looming" without any training, but usually they still need special training to make the lines clear and firm.

Exercise your abdominal muscles, eat less sweets, eat a balanced diet and eat good oils

In order to make your abdominal muscles more three-dimensional and shapely, it is recommended to eat less sweets and drink less sugary drinks to avoid consuming too much sugar and causing fat accumulation. In addition, a balanced diet is very important. You cannot completely cut out fat for the sake of body shaping, because the human body still needs an appropriate amount of essential fatty acids to maintain normal functioning and help the absorption and utilization of fat-soluble vitamins. Nuts, fish oil (mackerel, saury, salmon, tuna, etc.) and olive oil are all good sources.

Crunches cannot reduce the lower abdomen. Reducing body fat can reduce weight.

With the right exercise and diet, you can develop firm abdominal muscles. However, coach Li Zheyu reminds you that the main function of fitness exercise is to firm muscles and strengthen muscle function, not to lose weight. Therefore, doing sit-ups cannot directly slim your lower abdomen. If you want to get rid of your fat belly, remember to combine aerobic exercise and a healthy diet to reduce body fat, and then use sit-ups to tighten your abdominal lines. This is the correct way to pursue a flat belly!