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Sit-Ups: I Am Doing Them Correctly?
Sit-ups are excellent exercises to tone and shape the muscles in the midsection and by doing so, they help with some back problems as well. We should learn the proper techniques to do them in order to benefit from their effects and also to avoid injuries.
A recurring question regarding sit-ups is whether or not they help eliminate those hated 'rolls' around the waistline. Unfortunately, and like any other exercise, sit-ups do not help with "spot reduction" of accumulation of fat tissues, around the midsection or anywhere else in the body, for that matter. It is a shame that many fitness personalities engage in the deceptive practice of offering seminars, videos and other materials, propagating the illusion that we could actually reduce 'trouble' spots with localized exercises. By doing so, they show their ignorance about basic physiological principles.
Sit-ups strengthen the abdominal muscles: the rectus abdominus muscles or 'abs', two midline muscles that extend from the ribcage down to the pelvis and the three layers of muscles on both sides of the abs, the 'obliques'.
To be effective, sit-up exercises must pull the torso upward toward the knees starting from a lying position, using only the abdominal muscle groups. Bending the knees during sit-ups helps neutralize the action of the hip flexors and makes the abdominal muscles work more.
The abdominal muscle groups tend to be involved only in the initial phase of the sit-up, after which the hip flexors take over. Doing sit-ups rapidly and with momentum, knees bent or not, does not work the abdominal muscle groups very much; raising the torso slowly only part way works the abs better.
These exercises could be hazardous to the lower back when using the straight-leg routine, which arches the back and may create overextension and strain. Twisting, right elbow to left knee and vice versa, at the top of the sit-up movement is ineffective, and it places significant rotational stress on the lower back, which could lead to injury.
Pain, even mild, is a natural warning symptom and must not be ignored; when it appears, we must stop the exercise and reassess our position and technique. 'Working through the pain' is probably one of the stupidest advice we could hear, and doing so just worsens muscle injuries.
There are dozens of 'machines' and other silly contraptions on the market that are offered to strengthen the abdominal muscle groups and trim the waistline just by using them a few minutes a day... They may help to some extent, but only to those who already workout regularly at a gym. Overall, they are useless. The best way to tone-up is to learn to exercise properly.
How To Do Sit-Ups Properly...
Wearing light and comfortable clothing and lying on our back on a padded surface, we should bend our knees to about ninety degrees, with our feet flat on the floor. Remember that we want to workout the abs, and securing or anchoring our feet will bring leg and hip flexor muscles into the action...
The arms should be positioned according to our abdominal strength; the closer our hands are to our head, the more difficult the sit-ups become, increasing the possibility of injuries. Beginners should position their arms on the side, and as we get stronger, they should be placed across our chest. Placing the hands on the neck, behind the head, may cause serious injuries and it actually makes the abs work less.
Sit-ups should start slowly, focusing on the abdominal muscles. It helps if we visualize the abdominal muscles contracting and shortening, drawing our shoulders and head off the floor.
We should exhale while the abdominal muscles contract and pull us upward; this will bring the muscles inward, ensuring involvement of the deeper muscle layers. Inhaling at this point may lead to strain of the lower back muscles.
Once we have achieved the correct position, we should bring our torso halfway to the upright position by contracting our abdominal muscles to a distance of six to twelve inches --or approximately forty-five degrees off the floor. Holding this position briefly, we should then lower slowly to the floor. As the abdominal muscles begin to tire, we may not be able to rise as much off the floor, but we should go as high as we can, forty-five degrees off the floor being the general limit for the abs.
Upon returning to the starting point, we touch the floor lightly with our upper back and head, keeping the abdominal muscles tense, and then we repeat the first movement. If sit-ups are too demanding, try doing only the curl-down phase, by starting from the sitting position by pushing upwards with our arms. Then, we slowly lower to the floor, keeping our abdominal muscles tensed. Return to the up position and repeat the movement.
We should not overdo it; one set of five properly executed sit-ups or curl-downs is enough at first. We slowly could add one or two sit-ups during each workout until we reach fifteen, then we could add more sets. When we are able to do three sets of fifteen, we could try changing hand positions and adding some resistance --by crossing them on our chest, etc., never on the back of the neck!...
An important reminder - Sit-ups will not remove any fat from the waistline; there is no such thing as spot reduction, because muscles do not use as a source of energy the fat that surrounds them. During any exercise, our body mobilizes fat from areas throughout our body, so the energy used when doing sit-ups may come from fat tissues in the legs, back, face, or many other areas of the body. To actually get rid of fat, we should consume less calories and burn a lot of them by exercising our muscles.
The abdominal muscle groups are relatively small, and the number of calories expended during sit-ups is minimal. Walking, jogging, lifting weights, etc., will burn more calories than hundreds of sit-ups...
[Download This Article]
Alice M Crawford MD
Remember: Consult a qualified physician before starting any exercise program...
Wrist Fractures...
It could happen to anyone of us... we slip on the tennis court, or while taking a shower, on the ice trying to get to our car, on a wet kitchen floor or on a loose carpet in the living room, and by instinct, we extend our hand to reduce the impact when reaching the ground.
Most of the time, we only get a sore or bruised hand, but the fall may cause a fracture on the hand, the wrist or even the forearm bones. We have numerous small bones in our wrist joints, between the hand and the forearm; if any of them brake, we may not have many symptoms other than localized soreness that may persist for days, even weeks. Sometimes, they heal slowly and may be found by chance on radiographic studies indicated for other reasons.
Fractures of the forearm bones are serious, and may require surgery to regain normal function. One of the most common fractures is when the 'radius' brakes just above the wrist, known as 'Colles Fracture,' mostly diagnosed in adults, particularly on middle-aged and elderly women who may have osteoporosis [brittle bones].
Colles fractures cause immediate pain and swelling just above the wrist and the inability to hold and lift objects. The wrist may be pushed back over the broken bone resulting in a 'forked' appearance of the hand. Radiographic studies of an injured wrist will reveal the severity of injury.
How is a 'Colles' fracture treated?... The treatment may include manipulation and repositioning of the broken bones, under anesthesia, with subsequent immobilization with a splint or a cast.
Fractures with several pieces of broken bone [comminuted fractures], may require pins or other devices to hold them in proper position while they heal. Most of us would heal from a Colles fracture without any complications; however, sometimes normal function and mobility of the wrist joint can not be achieved. Also, chronic, persistent pain or soreness may result from ligaments or nerve injury. Carpal tunnel syndrome may be a complication due to the median nerve damage or compression.
Osteoporosis is one of the predisposing factors for thousands of Colles and hip fractures, and it should be suspected, and properly treated when diagnosed.
[Download This Article]
Why Should We Wear Helmets?...
Independently of our age, skill level or experience, we must always wear a protective helmet while riding our bikes, motorcycles, skating, even skiing... Children of all ages should also wear helmets while riding a sled or inner tube down a snowy slope. The reason is the same: in most sporting activities our heads are always vulnerable to injury; bruises, skin abrasions and cuts, even broken bones will heal, while brain damage may last a lifetime.
It could happen in a few seconds, we could fall and hit our head against a tree, post, the sidewalk, etc., and sustain an injury that could even be fatal in a few hours or days: a blood clot may slowly form [intradural or extradural hematoma] from a torn, bleeding vessel, increase pressure inside the skull and if it goes untreated, cause unconsciousness and eventually death.
How do helmets work? Properly designed helmets absorb much of the force of impact that would otherwise cause head injuries. Thick plastic foam inside the hard outer shell of a helmet cushions the blow; the helmet actually absorbs the energy that otherwise would reach our head.
Each year, even minor bicycle accidents kill hundreds of people in the US and cause brain damage and other injuries to more than half a million riders. Even with wide availability of inexpensive helmets and proper information on how and why to use them, it is estimated that only approximately half of over eighty million bike riders would wear them all the time. Many riders do not wear them at all... even when statistics show that helmets prevent brain injuries in about four out of six serious crashes.
Bicycle shops and many department stores sell several models of affordable helmets. The Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Snell Memorial Foundation have offered safety guidelines for effective helmets. We should choose one with the right size and fit: it should fit snugly and not slide around our head, fit squarely on top and cover the top of the forehead. Once in place, it should feel comfortable and not slide or tilt in any direction; the chinstrap should keep the helmet from moving around. The helmet should be smooth and round; many models are ventilated, lightweight and fashionable in color. For children, helmets must fit them properly and avoid those that they "will grow into"...
We must teach our children by example and always wear our helmet when playing sports with potential for collisions -and head injuries. Children are more likely to wear helmets if they like the way they look; 'cool' looking helmets are worn more often. |
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