Abdominal crunches are a common component of most workouts. But how beneficial are they? I decided to do some research. I wanted to be certain I was doing them correctly and forcing myself to do crunches is actually worth it. An abdominal crunch is performed from lying on the floor on the back. For a convention style of crunch, the knees are bent and the hands are placed behind the head to support the neck. It’s important to contract the belly towards the spine while keeping the back as flat as possible. In a slow and smooth motion, the shoulder blades are lifted several inches off the floor and the abdominal muscles are contracted. The neck should be kept straight with the chin tilted slightly up. As the body lifts and contracts, and it’s recommended to exhale. After holding the position for a few seconds, the body is lowered back down. The point of abdominal crunches is to strengthen the core muscles of the body. This exercise is effective for strengthening these muscles, improving posture and increasing mobility and flexibility of the muscles. While abdominal crunches are all that effective at burning fat,, the repetitive motion increases muscle mass and the body’s ability to more efficiently burn fat. Just a half hour of crunches can burn up to 300 calories. Physical therapists, doctors and fitness professionals all recommend abdominal crunches for the many and unique health benefits. Strengthening the muscles in the abdominal cavity encourages superior balance and combats pain in the lower back. It’s a good way to avoid back muscle injuries. There’s lots of variation on the basic crunch that helps to keep it interesting. Simply by adjusting body position or motion, you can target upper or lower abs and change the difficulty of the workout.
Abdominal crunches are worthwhile
