Want to skip the sit-ups? Here’s an alternative that I find much easier on my lower back and it doesn’t require heavy weights or standing.
This move might look simple but it focuses on building stability & control while keeping your muscles under tension. It comes from Pilates and you only need a Pilates ball and your mat.
Instead of the repetitive up and down motion of sit-ups that can hurt some people’s backs you’ll rest your back on a ball at about shoulder blade height. I recommend using one of the best yoga mats for your butt and feet. This exercise will challenge those deeper stabilizer muscles and activate your abs so consider yourself warned.
Learning to engage your core properly does not guarantee that every exercise will feel comfortable or right for your body. Sit-ups are not necessarily bad, but you should think about whether other exercises might work better for your specific needs and goals.
Pilates offers a gentle workout approach that focuses on building core strength and improving posture. When you practice Pilates regularly for about an hour at a time the positive changes in your body can be remarkable.
This particular crunch variation using a Pilates ball has some unique advantages. Between repetitions you can extend your head and upper back down toward the floor behind you. This movement allows you to stretch your spine and chest muscles at the same time as working your core.
Focus on breathing out strongly as you reach forward and lift your chest upward. Keep your hands resting gently against your head while pulling your elbows back & opening your chest wide.
Notice in the video above that Savanna keeps her back straight as she lifts with her core and then presses lightly back down into the ball. Her knees stay bent and her feet stay pressed into the floor. You could consider slowing this down to control the movement even more and focus on crunching your abdominals as you lift. Think about curling yourself up & peeling your back away from the ball that will be positioned at your shoulder blades and then slowly unfurling down into the ball. As mentioned I have been taught this exercise with a fuller range of motion that involves lowering your upper back & head fully to the floor behind you for a deep stretch & increased intensity. This is totally optional but if you do it imagine uncurling your spine slowly into the ball as you open your chest.
– Start seated with a Pilates ball behind you with your knees bent and your feet planted on the mat in front of you.
– Lower your back onto the ball and rest along the shoulder blades.
– Place your hands behind your head and gaze forward.
– Engage your core & then as you exhale lift your chest and upper back away & drive up while thinking about pulling your ribcage down.
– Pause and then lower your back onto the ball again with light pressure without arching your lower back.
– Keep it controlled. Repeat for 10 to 15 reps and several rounds and the option to lower fully to the ground each rep is there to release the spine.
If you watch the demonstration carefully you will notice not much is happening. There is not a huge amount of movement and nowhere near as much work on the back as regular sit-ups. This is about stability and control and contraction in the abs and deep abdominal muscles. A little bit of trembling is pretty much mandatory but if you experience pain stop immediately and do not push your body further than it wants to go.
Sam Hopes works as a level 3 qualified trainer and holds a level 2 Reiki practitioner certification. She serves as the fitness editor at Tom’s Guide & is currently studying to complete her Yoga For Athletes training course. Throughout her career Sam has contributed to numerous fitness brands and websites. She has worked with several Future brands including Live Science, Fit&Well, Coach and T3. Her background includes coaching experience at fitness studios such as F45 and Virgin Active where she worked as a personal trainer. These days Sam focuses mainly on teaching outdoor bootcamps & specializes in bodyweight training calisthenics and kettlebell workouts. She teaches mobility and flexibility classes multiple times each week. Sam believes that genuine strength develops through a comprehensive approach to physical training that addresses the whole body. Sam has participated in two mixed doubles Hyrox competitions held in London and the Netherlands. She completed her first doubles event with a finishing time of 1:11.
