Why sit ups are destroying your spine, The secrets to a better back!

If I were to ask you the question – what do you think consists of your core muscles? I bet the first thoughts would be a six pack on a fitness magazine. And while these muscles , rectus abdominus, are definitely a PART of your core muscles they are only a snippet of the big picture of what we define “core muscles”.

Your core muscles are ALL THE MUSCLES that support, stabilise and help move the spine. This starts at the neck moves down to our tail and everything back to front. These muscles are what we should be defining as “core”.

The segments we want to include when defining our core are:

1. Base of our cervical spine
2. Thoracic
3. Lumbar
4. Pelvis & pelvic floor

The muscles, although extensive, but some major ones we can now include are:

1. Cervical erectors, trapezius muscles, scalenes, deep neck flexors
2. Thoracic erectors spinae, serratus muscles, pectoral muscles , intercostal muscles, diaphragm
3. Rectus abdominus, oblique groups, transverse abdominus, deep hip flexors, quadratus lumborum, lumbar erector spinae
4. Iliacus, levator ani, piriformis, coccygeus, obturator muscles

Now that we understand the extent of what defines our core – the question is how do we strengthen our core? Traditionally I think most people would think or sit ups or some form of a plank. Which again isn’t completely wrong but they only target a sliver of the vast majority of muscles

Did you know that the typical sit up recommended for people to perform is actually doing more harm than good. Would you believe that a sit up, or curl up, will cause at least double the amount of stress on our spine and lumbar discs that they should be experiencing . Now when I say this, I am not saying I am against a normal sit up, but we need to be mindful of these forces when taking into consideration every individuals spine. A healthy spine will probably be alright performing these but even then if done to excess may wear away at the ligamentous and disc tissue and cause damage at some stage. So it is important to have variable exercises to supplement these, which, can be just as effective on building core but spare the spinal wear. 

Now that we have addressed what your core is we can see that core strength is much more then how many sit ups one can do or washboard abs. Core strength is when all the muscles stabilizing the spine work together to provide stability and prevent potential damage. When these muscles all work together they create a stiff and rigid like cylinder around your spine which supports your spine. Stuart McGill described “Gusset wires” supporting the spine, if one of the wires was too weak or too tight then the stability of the spine will be offset predisposing the spine to injury. Therefore, the exercises needed to strengthen your core are much more complex than just sit ups or curl ups. 

Some good full body core exercise alternatives are but not limited to:

1. McGill’s Modified sit up
2. Abdominal hollowing
3. Windshield floor wipers
4. Bird dog
5. Dead bug
6. Supine hip thrust with toe taps
7. Front & side planks
8. Prone Hyperextension holds
9. Kettle bell front position squats

Overall, your core is an essential component to your spines health and longevity in sports and everyday life!

Strengthening our core correctly will create a stronger foundation for you to live a longer happier life.