Crunches May Not Be the Path to Rock-hard Abs

Cruches have long been the go-to exercise to tighten and chisel abs. The easy movement of lifting your head, neck and back while engaging those abs may feel as if the layer fat is burning right off that perfect six pack just waiting to shine through. However, Kristine Timpert, author of “If Babies Did Crunches,” claims otherwise as reported by the Chicago Tribune.

Timpert explains that doing crunches is not the path to a six pack nor is it going to help new moms get back in shape and it may actually create problems in the spine and neck. She suggests that along with a healthy diet to perform exercises that require more movement in several directions than the simple crunch. She says that crunches only put the body in flexion—the same condition the body is in all day as we sit at our desks, cars and couches.

Instead, extension is what the body requires for a more successful ab workout. Timpert suggests crunching on a swiss ball, allowing the back to extend farther than traditional crunches on the ground.