How to Tone Your Abs Without Hurting Your Back

We keep hearing that we need to strengthen or abs if we want to sit up straight at our desks and avoid developing back pain. Unfortunately, when you have a bad technique or lumbar conditions, you might actually be doing more harm than good.

The core muscles which include the abdominal muscles but also the pelvic floor muscles, the erector spinae – group of muscles that stabilize the spine, multifidus – stabilizes the joints of the spine, the thoracic diaphragm – separates the thoracic cavity from the heart and lungs, important in breathing, cervical muscles (neck), glutes and so on. Working out all these muscle groups would be the best way to strengthen your back and not only pain but also with continence issues and childbirth.

Hypopressive Ab Workouts

Hypopressive exercises are basically breathing exercises designed to strengthen core muscles. They’re used by women recovering after childbirth or by people with hernias or other spinal conditions. They’re also great for correcting your posture.

You should breathe in and out in a relaxed manner about three times before you start your workout. The last time, make sure you empty your lungs completely which will cause your abdomen to sink, try to hold it for about 10 seconds and then repeat.

Planks
Torso flexions, if done excessively and incorrectly can cause your spinal discs to wear down. That’s why you should incorporate more exercises that don’t put so much pressure on the lumbar vertebrae into your workout. If you already have back pain and are looking for something to ease your discomfort you can visit https://nanocraftcbd.com/collections/topicals.
Planks are an excellent alternative. Start by supporting yourself on your knees and forearms and maintain the position for about 10 seconds with three to five seconds break in between. Planks are much safer on your back than crunches and if your goal is to burn calories, they activate more muscles groups so they’re more effective in this regard.

When you’re doing your planks make sure your back is perfectly straight and tighten your abs and glutes. Your elbows need to be right under your shoulders. If you’re feeling the burn in the wrong places, we recommend you do them in front of a mirror to make sure you have a good posture.

Side Planks
These you can also do with one or both knees on the floor and leaning on your forearm. When you’ve gotten stronger you can stretch out both your legs. Make sure the elbow is right under your shoulder and hold the position for about ten seconds. This will activate your rectus abdominis (your 8-pack), your external oblique (side of the abdomen), serratus anterior – ribs, under your arm, often neglected in workouts but great for maintaining healthy posture and your rectus femoris (thighs).

Side-planks are often overlooked in favor of doing just the regular, face-down planks but they’re some of the best exercises you can do for you abs and back. They also activate the quadratus lumborum which has a key role in stabilizing the pelvis.