Bruising Near The Backbone From An Ab Workout

Popular ab exercises such as situps and traditional crunches can cause bruising near or on the spine, as well as more harmful injuries. Medical studies such as those commissioned by the American Council on Fitness and those done by spinal expert Dr. Stuart McGill are finding that the older forms of abdominal exercises aren't as good as previously thought.

Situps

Situps cause an extreme curve in the lower back, which puts pressure on the entire back. This can cause lumbar lordosis, or swayback, which is the strain and overextension in the lower back area. Because you are rolling on your spine to do sit-ups, often on a hard surface, bruising can result. A sit-up is basically a back-bend in a lying position. There are only so many bends in your spinal disks, according to Dr. McGill, and the more repetitions you do, the closer you get to damaging the disk.

Crunches

Traditional crunches actually put the most strain on the weakest point of your back. This part has the most nerves and most potential for nerve damage, according to Dr. Richard Guyer of the Texas Back Institute. Strengthening the core muscles with Pilates and yoga are more in line with the biomechanics of the spine, says Dr. Guyer. Spinal injuries can occur with traditional ab exercises and some are severe enough to require surgery.

Damage

Crunches and sit-ups don't really create a flat stomach. These exercises target the rectus abdominius muscles, which cause distended stomachs. They look great from the front, but not so great from the side, according to personal trainer Steve Maresca. He refers to this condition as "aerobic abs." The side view shows off the distended muscles. To get the long lean look everyone wants, you have to work the transverse abdominius. Dr. McGill has seen several patients with a great front view along with a damaged spine.

Prevention

The best exercises for great abs are those that work your abs while holding your spine straight, like pushups, planks or leg drops. These exercises work the muscles the way they are designed to be used in everyday life. The back extenders, flexors, obliques, which are the core of the body, all need to be worked together, not in isolation. That means exercises that weren't traditionally designed for abs actually strengthen and tone those muscles without bruising or harming the spine.