Self-management: patient section the new abds.

People have always been infatuated with abdominal exercises. Not only amongst the fitness elite, but even sedentary people want a flatter tummy! Whether it is for cosmetic purposes or to protect against back pain abdominal exercises have probably drawn more attention than any other exercises. One abdominal exercise in particular, the sit-up, has become the most famous. Unfortunately, with all the attention and effort a common complaint heard in spine care centers is ‘‘I don’t understand why my back hurts. I do a hundred sit-ups every morning.’’ A major problem with this common exercise is that the sit-up places a high level of stress on the discs of the low back. Additionally, the morning is a vulnerable time for the back since the discs are normally a little swollen after being recumbent all night. Finally, the spine may not be warmed-up first thing in the morning. A safe alternative to sit-ups is shown here. This is a functional abdominal exercise in that the arms and legs are active at the same time as the