Is Your Ab Workout Hurting Your Back?

 

The genesis of much of the ab work we do these days probably lies in the work done in an Australian physiotherapy lab during the mid-1990s. Researchers there, hoping to elucidate the underlying cause of back pain, attached electrodes to people’s midsections and directed them to rapidly raise and lower their arms, like the alarmist robot in “Lost in Space.”

In those with healthy backs, the scientists found, a deep abdominal muscle tensed several milliseconds before the arms rose. The brain apparently alerted the muscle, the transversus abdominis, to brace the spine in advance of movement. In those with back pain, however, the transversus abdominis didn’t fire early. The spine wasn’t ready for the flailing. It wobbled and ached. Perhaps, the researchers theorized, increasing abdominal strength could ease back pain. The lab worked with patients in pain to isolate and strengthen that particular deep muscle, in part by sucking in their guts during exercises. The results, though mixed, showed some promise against sore backs.

From that highly technical foray into rehabilitative medicine, a booming industry of fitness classes was born. “The idea leaked” into gyms and Pilates classes that core health was “all about the transversus abdominis,” Thomas Nesser, an associate professor of physical education at Indiana State University who has studied core fitness, told me recently. Personal trainers began directing clients to pull in their belly buttons during crunches on Swiss balls or to press their backs against the floor during sit-ups, deeply hollowing their stomachs, then curl up one spinal segment at a time. “People are now spending hours trying to strengthen” their deep ab muscles, Nesser said.

But there’s growing dissent among sports scientists about whether all of this attention to the deep abdominal muscles actually gives you a more powerful core and a stronger back and whether it’s even safe. A provocative article published in the The British Journal of Sports Medicine last year asserted that some of the key findings from the first Australian study of back pain might be wrong. Moreover, even if they were true for some people in pain, the results might not apply to the generally healthy and fit, whose trunk muscles weren’t misfiring in the first place.

“There’s so much mythology out there about the core,” maintains Stuart McGill, a highly regarded professor of spine biomechanics at the University of Waterloo in Canada and a back-pain clinician who has been crusading against ab exercises that require hollowing your belly. “The idea has reached trainers and through them the public that the core means only the abs. There’s no science behind that idea.” (McGill’s website is backfitpro.com.)

The “core” remains a somewhat nebulous concept; but most researchers consider it the corset of muscles and connective tissue that encircle and hold the spine in place. If your core is stable, your spine remains upright while your body swivels around it. But, McGill says, the muscles forming the core must be balanced to allow the spine to bear large loads. If you concentrate on strengthening only one set of muscles within the core, you can destabilize your spine by pulling it out of alignment. Think of the spine as a fishing rod supported by muscular guy wires. If all of the wires are tensed equally, the rod stays straight. “If you pull the wires closer to the spine,” McGill says, as you do when you pull in your stomach while trying to isolate the transversus abdominis, “what happens?” The rod buckles. So, too, he said, can your spine if you overly focus on the deep abdominal muscles. “In research at our lab,” he went on to say, “the amount of load that the spine can bear without injury was greatly reduced when subjects pulled in their belly buttons” during crunches and other exercises.

Instead, he suggests, a core exercise program should emphasize all of the major muscles that girdle the spine, including but not concentrating on the abs. Side plank (lie on your side and raise your upper body) and the “bird dog” (in which, from all fours, you raise an alternate arm and leg) exercise the important muscles embedded along the back and sides of the core. As for the abdominals, no sit-ups, McGill said; they place devastating loads on the disks. An approved crunch begins with you lying down, one knee bent, and hands positioned beneath your lower back for support. “Do not hollow your stomach or press your back against the floor,” McGill says. Gently lift your head and shoulders, hold briefly and relax back down. These three exercises, done regularly, McGill said, can provide well-rounded, thorough core stability. And they avoid the pitfalls of the all-abs core routine. “I see too many people,” McGill told me with a sigh, “who have six-pack abs and a ruined back.”

 

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Pilates Exercise

 

The Pilates exercise is a system of physical fitness that was developed by Joseph Pilates. He called his exercise system the Art of Contrology. The goal of this system is to use the mind to control the muscles. The exercise focuses on enhancing the strength of the spine, and also helps in reducing back pain.

With the Pilates exercise, few movement are required, and he placed an emphasis on proper movements. Pilates designed more than 500 exercises. One common technique is called mat work, and includes a list of callisthenic movements. Both mental and physical aspects of fitness are emphasized, and breathing and having a proper concentration are also important.

 

Those who have used the Pilates exercise have demonstrated enhanced flexibility and strength. Different types of exercising equipment have been released which can also help people become healthier. Many variations of this exercise have been developed since it was first introduced. Pilates is a very efficient exercise, because you are often forced to use your own weight in order to gain strength. A special method called gravity Pilates has also been developed.

Pilates today has grown in popularity, and many celebrities have promoted the exercise. Healthcare professionals have begun using the exercise for physical therapy. Dancers and other athletes frequently use the Pilates program, and in addition to strength training, it is also good for the cardiovascular system.

While the Pilates system has been proven to be effective in many cases, it was not originally intended to be a complete method of fitness. When the system was originally formed, it did not place a large emphasis on cardiovascular exercises. Some bodybuilders have said that the exercise doesn't provide enough intensity to give them the strength they need. Patients who suffer from certain medical conditions such as osteoporosis should seek medical assistance from their doctors before performing the exercise.

Other critics have said that the Pilates exercise is incompatible with current knowledge of physical therapy. While it has been advertised that Pilates leads to lean muscles, others claim that no strong evidence has been presented which support these claims, and other exercises can receive the same result.

Despite all the criticisms made against Pilates, the fitness system has gained a worldwide reputation. It has been heavily marketed by many actors, actresses, and athletes, and has become a household name. Millions of people use this exercise and there have been many testimonials which support it. The effectiveness of Pilates is based on the perception of the individual.

 

 

Top Weight Loss With Cleansing Diet

 

 

Chances are you never give much thought to your colon. Colon health is just one of those things you may hear about occasionally on the TV in some health report. You would probably rather change the channel than think about it. Most people feel this way until something goes wrong. Neglecting this important area of your digestive system can have unpleasant and potentially life-threatening consequences. Poor colon health can increase your chances of having colon cancer. The colon must be functioning properly to insure good health, and a cleansing diet can be the first step.

 

Everyday we are ingesting harmful toxins into our bodies. These are found in the food we eat, the air we breathe and the liquids we drink. Pesticides, additives and preservatives in our foods collect in our systems along with pollution, household cleaners and even pleasant fragrances. In and of themselves they may not be harmful, but continued exposure can take its toll on the body as they accumulate. They must be cleansed from the body so as not have long-term serious repercussions. You can add ingredients to your diet to assist with this process.

 

Some symptoms of an unhealthy colon can include constipation, diarrhea, back pain, swollen legs, high blood pressure, fatigue and depression. These are a result of unwanted build up of matter in the colon over periods of time. Some things we ingest simply hang around instead of being expelled. Some studies have determined that some of us have up to 20 pounds of it inside the colon at any given time. A cleansing diet and supplements will cleanse your body of this material. Along with the fiber you should be consuming add Bentonite and Psyllium husks and freshly squeezed juices to facilitate the process. Bentonite absorbs toxins while the Psyllium flushes out the unwanted matter.

 

The benefits of a cleansing diet include weight loss, improved energy, clearer complexion, fewer aches and pains, better circulation and a better mood. If your digestive system is in top working order, the rest of your body systems will respond accordingly. Cultures across the globe have known the benefits of cleansing for many centuries. Many have used this healthful practice in preparation for spiritual ceremonies – clean body, clean mind. It may not be the most pleasant topic to think about, but it is vitally important we keep this area of our bodies free of toxins and blockage for overall health.

 

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