When it comes to abdominal exercises, crunches are a history as old as time. This move has played a role in core workouts galore, from fitness beginners to the most avid gym-goers.
But even the most seasoned training enthusiast can make some common form mistakes when crunching, making this move less effective and potentially painful. The next time you hit the mat for an abs workout, avoid these four mistakes and consider switching to some physical therapist-approved moves.
The most common mistakes when doing crunches
You're straining your neck
Have you ever felt the front of your neck start to ache after several repetitions of crunches? If that's the case, you're probably holding your neck at a weird angle while doing the exercise.
But you are not alone! Over-extending and flexing the neck are among the most common mistakes people make when doing sit-ups.
Unfortunately, whether you're crunching your chin too high (toward the ceiling) or too low (toward your belly button), you can cause muscle tension or pain in the surrounding joints. This mistake can also cause you to use momentum to do the movement instead of working your abs.
Although you can try to avoid it in all other circumstances, "double chin" is a good thing in this case. Slightly bending your chin can help improve the position of your neck.
Lower back is lifted off the floor
Another common mistake is a loss of core engagement and pelvic control. But this mistake defeats the purpose of the exercise.
Especially if you do a lot of crunches, you can start to lift your lower back and pelvis slightly off the floor as the muscles begin to fatigue. Although some sets will generally not cause problems, you may experience some pain in your hip and lower back if this mistake becomes a habit.
Consider keeping your lower back flat against the floor throughout the movement. In some cases, it may be helpful to "imagine a water balloon under your spine that you want to blow up."
Or you can place a flat resistance band under your spine and ask a friend to remove it. If you are in the proper position, the band should not move.
You're going down too fast
If you are doing sit-ups correctly, you need to control the lowering portion of the exercise. But often, people tend to release tension in the core, letting the body roll backward or fall to the ground.
Doing any exercise too fast causes poor technique, generally using muscle groups that are not meant to be part of the exercise . As a result, you don't get any benefit from the work you're doing (and who wants to do crunches without any rewards?).
Keep your body weight under control, especially when you come back down to the ground. Take two to three seconds on the way up and down from your contraction.
Better to do fewer reps at a slower pace, concentrating on the form than trying to do more reps where the form falls apart.
You forget to breathe
It may seem obvious, but forgetting to breathe (or breathe incorrectly) during an exercise, especially your abs, is definitely a common mistake.
Sometimes it can be easier to engage your abs while holding your breath, but this is not a smart solution. Holding your breath for too long while exercising can lead to serious complications and put your health at risk .
Align your breath and movement. Inhale as you lower yourself to the ground and exhale as you lift your shoulder blades off the ground. By aligning your breath with movement directly, you create a more natural rhythm and help minimize your chances of holding your breath.
