Sports: "Waist" for your health

Lumbar pain refers to pain that occurs in the lumbosacral and sacroiliac regions at the lower edge of the ribs, sometimes accompanied by radiating pain in the lower limbs. It is a common health problem among adults. Lower back pain is one of the main forms of musculoskeletal degeneration in the adult population. 80% of people will suffer from lumbago once in their lifetime. The recurrence rate is very high, increasing year by year and showing a trend of younger age. Once lumbago is formed, rehabilitation is difficult and time-consuming, and protection is far more meaningful than rehabilitation. Therefore, we need to understand how to prevent and improve lumbago through self-exercise in daily life, fundamentally reduce the probability of lumbago, and thereby reduce the incidence of lumbar disc herniation.

First of all, we need to understand the reasons for the younger age of low back pain, which is mainly closely related to maintaining the wrong posture for a long time, the decrease of muscle strength around the lumbar spine, and lumbar instability. At present, "sitting for a long time" is defined as any waking behavior characterized by energy consumption of less than or equal to 1.5 metabolic equivalents (MET) in sitting or lying posture, including postures when working and studying, as well as watching TV, using computers, driving, reading, writing, etc.; It is generally believed that sitting for more than 5 days a week in a waking state, more than 8 hours a day, or 2 hours without getting up and changing sitting posture can be regarded as sitting for a long time. "Sitting for a long time", the most common behavior in modern daily life, leads to weakened core muscle function and reduced core stability related to physical health. Recent studies have shown that the medical cost of treating low back pain through exercise is lower and the effect is better. Core stability exercise training is an important means to actively restore lumbar stability. All increase the strength of the core muscles to protect our lumbar stability and reduce low back pain. To strengthen the stability of the lumbar spine, it is necessary to promote the co-contraction of the oblique abdominal muscles, transverse abdominal muscles, erector spinae muscles and multifidus muscles. Among them, the transverse abdominal muscle is a core stabilizing muscle that participates in the formation of intra-abdominal pressure in the human body. Its main function is to maintain the stability of the lumbar spine. At present, in the field of rehabilitation abroad, abdominal exercises have been widely used as a standardized core stability training for the treatment of low back pain.

Crunches are often regarded as a classic exercise for training core muscles, especially for tightening the abdomen. However, if the fitness method and movements are not correct, it is easy to cause damage to the body.

Crunches are different from sit-ups in that they do not involve curling up the spine. Instead, they involve curling the body to slightly lift the upper back, with the lower corners of the shoulder blades just leaving the ground. The eyes look towards the navel, and the lower back does not leave the ground when rising.

Correct method: ① Lie on your back on a yoga mat or floor, bend your knees, place your feet flat on the ground, place your hands on your thighs, retract your chin, keep your upper lower back (waist) close to the ground, and keep your chest up, abdomen in, and shoulders down.

② Exhale and let the ribs retract and slide down towards the navel (the rib angle becomes smaller), the waist circumference becomes thinner (activate the transverse abdominal muscle), the shoulders and back slightly leave the ground, the chin finds the clavicle, and the lower angle of the shoulder blade just leaves the ground. Slowly slide your hands upwards until they touch your knees, and keep the abdominal muscles contracted for 3 seconds.
③ While inhaling, slowly descend, and continuously contract the abdomen to control the slowness and stability of the movement. The waist circumference becomes thinner during the whole process (the transverse abdominal muscle is in the activated state).

Note: Keep your back and waist close to the ground, do not use explosive force, do not move too fast, keep a constant speed. Do not lean your neck too far forward, always keep your chin back to your clavicle but with an egg-sized space in between. You can look at your navel or look straight ahead, and roll until your shoulder blades just leave the ground. The abdomen becomes thinner and the waist becomes thinner (activate the transverse abdominal muscle during the whole process). Beginners can use the feeling of exerting force in the abdomen at the end of coughing or sighing. It is not recommended for beginners to hold their heads with both hands.