By: Chad Eldridge, DC

Summer is among us, which means a lot of people are working hard on their beach bodies.  One area in particular that we all like to focus is the abdominals.  Many of us strive to have those glorious six pack abs, but one of the popular exercises used to achieve those abs may be causing damage to your back.  The sit up,  performed by many produces low back compression levels close to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health action limit.  Repeatedly compressing the spine to levels higher than this limit has been shown to increase the risk of low back disorders.  Mix this load compression in addition to the sustained load placed on our spines when being stuck in the seated position for long periods of time at work or school is a recipe for low back disorders.  There are other alternative exercises that you can perform that target the upper and lower rectus abdominals that do not put high levels of compression load on the spine, such as the McGill Curl up.

This exercise will help you achieve your goal of having toned abs without compromising your back.  With any exercise program, please consult a qualified physician if you have pain.

References:

McGill, Stuart.  Low Back Disorders: Evidence-Based Prevention and Rehabilitation 2^nd Edition.  Champaign,IL: Human Kinetics, 2007.