Sit Ups Galore Ain't Good For Your Core!

Spinal instability can be a cause of back pain when the surrounding ligaments and muscles are under - or unevenly developed.

This imbalance around the spine can cause the intervertebral discs (those cushiony things in between your vertebrae!) to be unevenly loaded, which can result in pain. By engaging in core strengthening exercises to evenly develop the core musculature surrounding the lower back, we can help to rebalance the area and improve spinal stability and the strength of those surrounding muscles for support.

Sooooo, sit ups - right?!?! WRONG XXX

Sit ups focus solely on your Rectus Abdominis muscle at the front - you know that one that morphs itself into a six pack after a gazillion sit ups..? Yea, that one...

The Rectus Abdominis is the most superficial (near to the surface) of the core muscles and runs from your pubic bone upwards to your sternum. Performing sit ups to build a six-pack causes the muscle to build outwards, creating the six-pack look, but can result in the muscle bulging AWAY from the spine - DEcreasing core stability.

For true core / spine stabilisation exercises, we need to focus on engaging the deeper core muscles such as the Obliques and Transverse Abdominis. Imagine you're wearing a corset and cinching in ALL round your waist... THOSE are the muscles we wanna hit!

Pilates people - remember your "scoop"?! This is the same thing... engaging through those deep abdominal muscles. By doing this, we increase the pressure inside the abdominal cavity which in turn stabilises the spine during Pilates exercises.

So does this mean no more sit ups?! Not necessarily... if you love a good sit up and wanna build up that six pack - crack on, my friend! But do make sure to mix up your training with some deeper core stabilisation exercises for a truly well balanced workout. (Hint: Pilates is a great addition for ya! ) #ThePosturePractice #BackPain #LowBackPain #BackPainRelief #BackPainFacts #CoreStability #CoreStabilityTraining #CoreStabilisation #SpinalStability #CoreStrength #SixPack #Abs #Pilates #PilatesStudio #MatPilates