To think that sit-ups... rather than being good for losing belly fat... can damage the spine and the muscles around the spinal column!!!
Kids do sit-ups often in Taekwondo too...
I remember sit-ups being a mandatory item in the physical fitness test back when I was in school...
It is shocking to hear that exercises I used to think were good might actually do more harm than good...
I guess I need to look up exercise methods again and find one that suits my age and works for me!!
Anyway... strength training is essential... so I'm making a note of the half crunch and burpee tests.
The U.S. military also excludes sit-ups from physical fitness tests.
![윗몸 일으키기 대신할 수 있는 하프 크런치는 바닥에서 허리를 많이 떨어뜨리지 않아야 한다. [사진=게티이미지뱅크]](https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/296/2024/07/05/0000079565_001_20240705103617880.jpg?type=w647)
Sit-ups are an exercise that anyone, regardless of age or gender, can easily do because of their effect in strengthening abdominal muscles. However, caution is required as this exercise can damage the spine and the muscles surrounding it.
Bob Fisher, a rehabilitation manager in Southampton, USA, explained, "If people with weak core muscles do sit-ups frequently, it puts a strain on the spine and can cause back pain," adding, "This is because if there is not enough muscle mass to lift the upper body, the weight of the upper body is placed on the lower back."
When a person who does not have enough muscle to support the weight of their upper body performs sit-ups, pressure is applied to the vertebrae. At this time, the intervertebral discs between the vertebrae can press on the nerves, causing pain.
Caution is required because if symptoms worsen, it can lead to a herniated disc, where the disc protrudes from the vertebrae. For this reason, U.S. military authorities... sit-ups, which were a major event in soldiers' physical fitness tests ·sit-up ...was excluded.
So, how should you do exercises to lose belly fat or strengthen abdominal muscles without damaging your spine?
Half crunches are similar to sit-ups, but differ in that the lower back does not lift off the floor as much. Bob Fisher advised, "In sit-ups, you lift your upper body nearly 90 degrees, but with half crunches, you only need to maintain an angle of about 20 degrees," adding, "When doing half crunches, the correct posture is about 5 to 6 inches (12 to 15 cm) off the floor."
Burpee Test = The burpee test is an exercise performed to improve agility, involving the repetition of placing hands on the ground and lying prone. It involves standing upright, placing hands on the floor to assume a prone position, and then returning to a bent-over position.
This exercise is known to be particularly effective for those looking to lose weight because it can burn a significant amount of calories in a short period of time. However, if you have experienced back pain in the past or are currently experiencing back pain, it is best to avoid the burpee test.
Experts say "The burpee test is an ultra-intense aerobic exercise that uses all muscles in the upper and lower body, but you should be careful as it can cause stiffness in the ligaments or muscles around the waist," they said. "If you want to burn calories, it is better to do walking or running." He says.
It involves repeating intense exercise that causes a rapid increase in heart rate followed by about half that amount of less intense aerobic exercise. You repeat 20 seconds of high-intensity exercise followed by 10 seconds of walking for 4 minutes. Generally, on a treadmill, etc. HITT You can exercise.
Experts stated, "There are research findings showing that when exercise intensity is high, our bodies are tricked into thinking we are still exercising even when we pause briefly, leading to continued calorie burning," adding, "This exercise is beneficial because it allows you to burn the maximum amount of calories without putting strain on your lower back."
