Ab Crunches

Sports therapy isn’t just about treating injuries with massage. It is also about teaching how to prevent performance limiting injuries through correct technique and posture, so that the client can continue to reach their goals, and become fitter and stronger. This “Gains without Pains” series of posts will take common exercises done in the gym and look at correct posture and technique in order to reduce the risk of injury. 

STOMACH CRUNCHES

 BENEFITS

 - strengthens the core muscles and improves posture needed 

 COMMON MISTAKES

 - tucking the chin into the chest

 • being too high off the floor - when you crunch high, you transfer the focus from your rectus abdominis onto your hip flexors 

• If you rush your reps, you’re using momentum rather than strength and won’t get the same benefits as if you slowed down, and it can put extra stress on your joints and increase the risk of back injury

 • By yanking your neck, you increase the risk of neck strain and use your arms to do the crunch, so it becomes ineffective

 • people will work hard on the way up and then relax on the way down, which reduces the effectiveness

 • holding your breath simply deprives the body of oxygen and negatively affects your crunches 

GOOD TECHNIQUE

- raise the shoulders three inches from the floor

 • Maintain some space between the neck and the chest to avoid strains

 • Avoid a jerking movement up into the crunch

 • perform the exercise slowly and engage your core throughout