Did you know if done incorrectly, sit-ups could hurt your spine?
Dr. Michael Duffy, Orthopedic Spine Surgeon at Texas Back Institute, talks about sit-ups, planks, side blanks, balance balls, and other core strengthening dos and don’ts.
“When it comes to sit-ups in general, it’s really important that you have a trainer or a certified physical therapist who can show you the proper technique for sit-ups. otherwise, people doing a poor technique can actually injure themselves.” Says Dr. Duffy
Many people relate core strengthening with focused work on the abs, but the muscles which support the spine include the abdominal muscles and muscles in your pelvis, lower back, hips, and abdomen.
“Core strengthening really is more than just doing, you know, crunches or sit-ups; it has to do with work on the air ball (yoga ball) and planking. Planking is one of the best ways to do core strength. You can do a forward plank which is kind of like a pushup, but you’re sitting on your elbows with your hips off the ground, and then you can do side planks which would be on your side with the same issue. These exercises would get your core on your obliques for the side planking.”
For more information about spine health or to schedule your appointment with Dr. Duffy, call us at 972-608-5100