Back pain is a serious issue for those of us who work on a computer for long periods of time. I used to suffer from back pain chronically when I sat at a computer 40 hours per week.
The back is a very complex muscle group. There are a lot of variables to consider. When the spine is not in a neutral position, the compression forces repetitive strain and overuse injuries much quicker than if we had good posture.
This article will talk about the pros and cons of sit-ups. It’ll also cover some substitute ab exercises I do when I have lower back pain.
Are Sit Ups Bad For Lower Back Pain
It’s also important to be careful in choosing the activities you do. After a long day of sitting, it might be a bad idea to do ab workouts that build core strength. The core muscles definitely need to be strengthened, but I usually did more harm than good when I did core exercises after sitting at a computer all day. Although it may not feel like it, my core muscles work all day long to support my torso at a computer. Working on a computer for long periods of time is an endurance event, regardless if we are sitting or standing. Going straight to a gym after work to do sit up repetition wasn’t the ideal balance for me. I always tried to do my core exercises on days that I wasn’t doing any work on a computer.
Why Is Corrective Exercise Important
As I’ve gotten into my mid-forties, I’ve noticed the lack of muscle growth and activation I was used to when I was younger. That elusive six pack is much harder to achieve as I’ve gotten older. The more I use my core muscles to support my computer posture for long periods of time, the more my abdominal muscles get tighter, weaker, and more deactivated. But these are just more reasons and more motivation to focus on my physical fitness. A huge variable of that is training my abdominal muscles effectively. Improving my core strength hasn’t been an easy task for me. Certain body movements and core exercises have made my back pain worse, sometimes including sit ups and crunches. So today, I’m dedicating this post on how sit ups can affect lower back pain.
This article is not medical advice. It’s based off my experience and my opinions. I talk about ways to strengthen your core that have helped me live a higher quality, sedentary lifestyle. Do your research, make good decisions, and be the best possible advocate you can be for your physical fitness and your abdominal muscles.
The question, “Are sit ups bad for lower back pain?” doesn’t have an easy answer. I would say that the answer is two fold. My first answer is yes. Sit ups can be bad for lower back pain if they are done carelessly or incorrectly. My second answer is no. Sit ups done properly and intentionally can help strengthen and reduce pain in the lower back.
Why Does My Back Hurt When I Do Sit Ups?
Lumbar curve flattens out
The lumbar curve (in the lower back) is arguably the most important of the spine’s natural curves. If my lumbar curve flattens out, my entire spinal alignment is affected.
Without lumbar support, sit ups put my spine in a compromised position. This is why I always used an AbMat by Rogue Fitness (not paid promotion).
It’s basically a mat that supports the natural curve of my lumbar spine, so I can do sit ups with proper form.
This is important to me. Because I like doing full sit ups. I’ve never been a partial crunches type. I just don’t enjoy them. Mainly because they aren’t a very functional movement. If I get knocked down to the ground in real life, I need to get up as quickly as possible. A crunch isn’t going to help me much. But an explosive, full sit up will launch me onto my feet in no time.
Unbalanced strength between anterior vs posterior core
Anterior has to do with muscles on the front of our bodies (abdomen, for example). Posterior has to do with muscles on the back of our bodies (lower back, for example).
It’s a common misconception that the core muscle group is another way of talking about our abdominal muscles. It is actually made up of a lot more muscles than that. The other main variable of the core is muscles in the lower back that surround the lumbar spine. If the lumbar spine isn’t in a neutral position when I’m doing sit ups and crunches, I will suffer from back pain.
Also, I’m an office worker who sits for a living. So, my abs get overused, compressed, and shortened from sitting. At the same time, the opposite side of my body is going through the exact opposite problem. My lower back is also overused, but it’s being overextended and lengthened. This muscle imbalance caused all kinds of dysfunction for me. And sit ups used to make the problem worse.
I learned to strengthen these muscles proportionately (anterior vs posterior). This allowed my core to function properly. Which decreased my back pain from sitting at a computer.
Structural spinal problems
Spinal disc degeneration is very common among desk workers. I learned I had stage 2 disc degeneration when my chiropractor took x-rays. He said my damage was irreversible, but I could stop the progression of it.
He explained how to do this by keeping the natural curves of my spine intact, especially when sitting for long periods. And that was some very valuable advice that I’ll always remember.
A couple spinal issues I want to mention, although I haven’t experienced them personally. Herniated discs and spinal stenosis could be causes of back pain when doing sit ups. These are very serious problems, which should definitely be addressed with your doctor.
What Does Sit Ups Do To Your Body
Builds an anterior strong core
When done with proper form and lower back support, my abs get remarkably stronger from doing sit ups. It’s the most functional of all the ab exercises I do.
Possible lower back injury (without lumbar support)
Sit ups aren’t as simple as laying on the floor while you bend your knees, then pulling your torso up. Proper form is important for a strong core.
I don’t ever do sit ups without lower back support. But if I did, I’d be putting pressure on my lumbar spine. Every sit up I’d do would bend that lumbar curve in the exact opposite direction it’s supposed to go. This would make it weaker, which would have negative effects on my entire spine.
How To Do Sit Ups Without Hurting Your Back
As I mentioned earlier in this article, I don’t like to do sit ups and crunches after a long day of sitting. I will do them on days off from work instead. It’s also crucial that I use some kind of lower back support when I do them. My favorite thing to use is an AbMat. The AbMat stabilizes my lumbar spine while I do the sit ups and crunches.
This greatly decreases the chances that I suffer from back pain. I prefer to do the CrossFit style sit ups, where my hands are over my head when I’m in the down position. Then, I swing my arms and hands toward my feet when I begin my upward descent. This allows me to take advantage of the momentum that my arms create. I prefer this over the older, traditional physical fitness style of sit ups, which is a much stricter and slower movement.
Side note: This isn’t paid promotion. I’m not compensated by companies that make the AbMat or the X Bands. They are simply products I’ve spent my own money on, that have improved my quality of life.
Safe Exercises For Lower Back Pain
Below are the exercises that work for me, which help me build my core strength, without putting a strain on the muscles surrounding my lumbar spine.
Plank and side plank
After a long day of sitting, I like to do plank and side plank. These ab exercises don’t put a strain on my lumbar vertebra and lower back muscles like sit ups and crunches do. I’m not even worried about the intensity of the plank. Most of the time, I use a progression where my elbows and toes are on the floor to support my upper body. This is less intense for me than if I was to have my hands and toes on the floor. But, I’d rather do the exercise intentionally, at a lower intensity, with my elbows and toes touching the floor. This allows me to focus more on my breathing and the stability of my lumbar spine.
Leg lift
There are 2 different ways that I do a leg lift. Both of them can help strengthen your core, as well as your hip flexor muscles.
The first way is to grab a pull up bar, just like we were going to do a pull up.
Instead, I lift my legs until my thigh is at a 90 degree angle with my upper body. On this method, the muscles around the lumbar spine are active, but it’s pretty easy to maintain a neutral position while doing it.
The second way is to lay flat on my back, next to a cable machine in the gym.
I use X Band foot straps to connect to a cable with a carabiner. The metal hook of the X Band straps would be at the bottom of my foot for this exercise (not the top of my foot, like in the picture). This allows me to do a leg lift under a weighted load. It has helped me build core strength in my lower abs, which are the hardest variable in attaining that elusive six pack. This version of the leg lift has also helped me wake up and activate my hip flexor muscles that have gotten incredibly tight and deactivated after years of sitting at a computer for long periods of time. This exercise is also referred to as a reverse squat.
If you’ve read this far, congratulations! You’re taking valuable steps that will improve your core strength and decrease the chance you will suffer from back pain. That’s something to be proud of.
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Thanks for your interest in computer posture.
Todd Bowen – Computer Posture Correction and Pain-Free Ergonomics: For Office Workers Who Want to Fix Their Sitting Pain
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🙏 Thank you for supporting my work. -Todd