Abdominals are not just meant for a six pack (although that's really nice)! The true function of abdominal muscles is support, mobility of the body and part of an overall healthy back! Of course everyone should be well aware that nutrition and cardiovascular are two essential components that need to addressed for a fit and trim body, but beyond that is where the buzz about abdominals gets confusing.

If you want the best of both, a strong back and a flat tummy, there a few "best of" and" worst of" you should be aware of to avoid injury and get results.

Worst:

1. Sitting all day. Your chair is your enemy and sitting for long periods is bad for your waist line and back! Sitting is one of the most passive things you can do. This in turns means you are not burning calories effectively. Two to three pounds a year adds up.

One of the biggest culprits for bad posture is sitting at your desk all day without break. The body was not designed to be in a seated position for long periods of time. Sitting in a chair promotes weak abdominal muscles and in turn creates weak back muscles. Blood will also pool in your legs taking away blood flow to the brain and other important muscles.

Suggestion: Take a break once an hour from sitting at your desk. Take your mini breathing breaks or go find a stairway to climb and get the body moving.

2. Sit ups and crunches. Believe it or not, you can develop amazing abs without ever doing a single sit-up! Sit-ups are the worst. Muscles other than the abs are the main movers of this exercise and it puts the back in high risk of injury. Most people perform crunches improperly and this can cause flexion pressure on disks and lower spine causing injury over time.

Besides being potentially harmful exercises, both of these exercises do not effectively work the most important muscle in the abdominals, the transverse abdominal muscle. This muscle is like a big belt that wraps from the front of your body and attaches to the back of your spine. This muscle holds in the abdominals as well as supports the organs, which is another purpose of the abdominals.

Crunches mainly work what is called the rectus abdominal muscle. This is actually the muscle that will give you a six pack (as long as you blast the fat away).But, it is not as important as the transverse abdominal muscle for attaining a healthy back and supporting the entire core.

Suggestion: Try an exercise that include both the rectus muscle, the transverse muscle and does not have the same risk of injury. Planks engage all of the abdominal muscles including the rectus abdominus, external obliques, internal obliques, transverse abdominals and lower back. Planks also offer a variety of other benefits, such as improved core strength, stability and balance.

3. More is not better!!! You cannot spot reduce doing hundreds of crunches, but you can injure you back that way. Save yourself some time and be reasonable with your abdominal routine. Two to three times a week and three sets of 20 repetitions of a variety of movements including planks.

Best:

Breathing – One of the best ways to work the transverse abdominal is with stomach breathing exercises.

Here is an easy one to start with at home. Get on all fours. Take a full deep breath in through the nose, then exhale all of the air and as you do, pull your navel in toward the deep part of the spine. Keep you spine still during the process. Repeat several times.

If you're at work, try it this way. Sit in a chair. Inhale deeply through your nose, allowing your lungs to expand fully. Exhale through your mouth, pulling your abs inward as if trying to push your navel through your internal organs toward your low back. Repeat several times. This can also be done in a standing position.

Posture. Long hours of sitting at a desk or standing improperly will take their toll on bellies and backs. The outcome of poor posture is immobilization. Once calcification takes place, not much can be done to reverse it.

You can take action before it's too late. The best action is regular exercise that improves the flexibility and strength of the core muscles. Good posture is a direct outcome of the good condition of these muscle areas.

By Carolyn Phillips

Carolyn Phillips has a 20 year history as a certified personal trainer with the American Council on Exercise (ACE) and Certified Lifestyle and Weight Management Consultant, teaching lifestyle management, nutrition, weight training, cardiovascular, fitness testing, and behavior modification.  Carolyn is featured on WFSB Channel 3’s, Better CT and on radio 96.5 TIC FM with Damon Scott as the fitness expert every Wednesday.

Carolyn Phillips is founder and CEO of Fit Behavior (http://www.fitbehavior.com) and. Carolyn’s Menu of Life (http://www.Caroylnsmenuoflife.com) The facility has a 13 -year history and has been awarded winner of the best place to workout and best Pilate’s studio by the Hartford Magazine and voted best by The Hartford Advocate for its nutrition and cardio program. Carolyn won the prestigious 40 Under Forty award from the Hartford Business Journal for outstanding leadership in the greater Hartford area.

Carolyn has over 25 years of combined comprehensive sports and education experience.

• ·         2000-2010 ACE Certified Personal Trainer
• ·         2010 ACE Certified Lifestyle and Weight Management Consultant
• ·         2007-2010 Featured on Better CT Channel 3 as a Fitness Expert
• ·         2009-2010 96.5 TIC FM's Damon Scott radio show as the weekly Fitness Expert
• ·         2007-2010 The Mary Jones Radio Show, WDRC-AM 1360 - guest Fitness Expert
• ·         2008-2010 West Hartford Community Television - Fitness Expert and Group Instructor on air
• ·         1990-2010 Guest Speaker on ESPN, WHCN, WCCC, WDRC
• ·         2002-2010  President - Board of Directors at Chrysalis Center Inc.
• ·         2009 BS in Organizational Leadership, Quinnipiac University
• ·         2007-2008 Published writer for Natural Nutmeg Magazine
• ·         2007-2008 Nutmeg Community Television - Fitness Expert and Group Instructor on air
• ·         2000 40 Under 40 Award from the Hartford Business Journal
• ·         2004 Licensed Professional Mountain Biker
• ·         1998-2004 CT State and Regional Mountain Bike Champion
• ·         1990-1997 CT State Bodybuilding Champion and National Competitor
• ·         1974-1980 VT State Gymnastic Champion and Junior Olympics Competitor
• ·         3 years coursework in Health Sciences

·         Currently studying for Master's Degree in Nutrition

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