February 03, 2007
Sorry this month’s issue is a but late.I hope 2007 has started well for you and you're still sticking to your New Years resolution :0)
This month I have been busy promoting my new book, Zone Mind, Zone Body lately giving talks to sports clubs and writing for the web. I have to admit to being a little apprehensive about how it would be accepted by the fitness press as I have been critical of a number of popular training methods. However, so far the reviews have been good and I’m hoping it will start a long overdue debate about what I see as poorly thought out training programs.
This months issue looks at one of the oldest exercises in the manual – the ever popular sit-up/stomach crunch, a good example of how an established idea can become etched in stone never to be questioned.
Roy
In this issue
1. What Is It About Our Stomachs?
2. Don’t Let Gravity Get You Down.
3. Can Exercise Flatten Your Stomach?
4. Science And The Sit-Up.
1. What Is It About Our Stomachs?
There can't be many of us who haven't held in our stomachs in an attempt to look fitter, thinner or younger. The stomach or midriff often tops the 'things you don't like about your body' poll in magazines so it's not surprising there are so many stomach exercises claiming to remedy the problem. But do they really work? Why do so many adults start to spread once they get past 25? Is it a problem with the stomach or is it a ‘whole body problem’? If we can understand the cause it becomes a little easier to resolve.
2. Don’t Let Gravity Get You Down
Gravity is a big player in what happens to your stomach, or to be more precise, the contents of your torso. If your muscles have slackened a little or you have gained a few pounds gravity will do its best to pull this downward. Your pelvis can only hold so much and as the excess builds it will ‘spill’ over the edge. Although you don’t even need to be overweight to get a bulging tummy – see photo In my view the back muscles need to function properly for a flat stomach. These will help to support your torso and bring it into an upright position. If you can maintain a good length in your torso you will create more space for your stomach, organs and all the other bits and pieces. Many people develop a bulge because they are squashed and pulled down by gravity. A physical therapist I know demonstrates this by holding a jelly baby and pushing it between her fingers (not sure what they’re called outside the UK so check the link for a picture). When you do this the belly expands! Nice example, plus you can eat it!
So I believe in addition to eating sensibly, improvements in your posture will bring about the best results. You can improve your posture by learning how to use gravity to your advantage, and you can find out how by clicking here :0)
3. Can Exercise Flatten Your Stomach?
Could popular abs exercises be actually achieving the opposite effect? After all don't all exercises that involve working muscles cause them to bulk up and therefore thicken your midriff? I used to do 500 sit-ups a day thinking it would strengthen my stomach for my martial arts training. I reasoned it would help protect me from a blow to that area. Yet, when I started taking Alexander Technique lessons my teacher persuaded me to take a break and work on my whole body. I reluctantly decided to give them a miss for one month and found to my amazement that the Alexander procedures not only improved my shape but also appeared to strengthen my stomach!
Its been 12 years since I last did a stomach exercise and it’s still in pretty good shape (well, okay depending on the time of year it does expand a little!)
As you know I am not a supporter of isolating one area for an exercise. If your stomach is heading south-west then check your diet, posture and increase your level of activity. It doesn’t have to involve exercise because you are less likely to stick with it.
Play a sport, walk the dog more or try balancing on an exercise ball(video). These activities will help to improve your coordination and your stomach will return to where it should be!
4. Science And The Sit-Up
At the start I mentioned how the sit-up has become one of the established exercises, yet did you know there is no scientific reason for doing them? The late renowned sports scientist Mel Siff would set his students the task of justifying the use of sit-ups and crunches knowing well that it isn’t possible. Whilst studies can prove doing these exercises will develop the muscles being worked, no one has yet to prove whether they provide any benefit! A number of top sports and medical scientists question the theory behind these exercises, you can read more hereSo just be careful out there. If a trainer tells you that you need to strengthen your core ask them why? Remember there is no evidence to show it will improve your performance, posture or popularity. You are instructed to do so because it’s the current hot issue in fitness and your trainer will have just done a course on it.
But when the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem begins to resemble a nail!
Have a good month and don't be too hard on your old tum!
regards
Roy