Back flexion involves curving the spine forward and is facilitated by the abdominal muscles. Sit-ups and bodyweight exercises are effective for strengthening these muscles and relieving back pain. Examples include stability ball crunches and raised leg crunches.
Back flexion, alternatively known as trunk or spinal flexion, is the act of curving the spine forward, as is done during an abdominal crunch. This movement is facilitated by a complex system of central musculature, supported by bones and ligaments. Unlike flexion of the knee or elbow joint, flexion of the back occurs not at a single joint but at several intervertebral joints, all acting together to curve the spine forward.
To produce flexion of the back requires a contraction of the abdominal muscles. The primary flexor of the spine is the rectus abdominis or “six-pack” muscle, which runs longitudinally from the base of the ribcage to the front of the pelvis. Aiding in spinal flexion are the internal obliques, which lie under the rectus abdominis and run diagonally from the center of the ribcage to the sides of the pelvis. To a lesser extent, this movement is supported by the external obliques, which run perpendicular to the internal obliques but sit between the rectus abdominis and internal obliques on the abdominal wall. Both the external and internal obliques are also involved in trunk rotation, or twisting of the spine, and lateral flexion, or lateral flexion of the spine.
The most effective exercises to produce back flexion, and thus strengthen the abdominal muscles, are sit-ups and sit-ups, or any movement that requires a forward bend of the spine against resistance. These exercises may be prescribed for people experiencing back pain, as in the absence of an acute back injury, weakened sitting muscles, such as the abdominal muscles and buttocks, can be strengthened to relieve back pain and stress. lower back. Exercise experts often eschew contraction machines, which can encourage poor technique, in favor of movements that use internal resistance.
Internal resistance or bodyweight exercises can include variations on crunches, such as the stability ball crunch. A frequently recommended exercise for activating the deeper abdominal muscles, as well as the rectus abdominis, the ball crunch involves lying on your back on a stability ball with your feet planted on the floor. Placing the hands slightly behind the head to support the neck, but without pulling the head forward, one should draw in the abdominal muscles and flex the shoulder blades on the ball, lifting the chest towards the ceiling. Stopping at the top, one should slowly lower the back down until the back is extended and the abdominals are slightly stretched before repeating.
Another back flexion exercise that works the abdominal muscles is the raised leg crunch. For this move, one should lie on the floor with both legs in the air and knees bent to 90 degrees, keeping the lower back toward the floor. With hands placed slightly behind the head, one should draw in the abdominal muscles and curl the shoulder blades off the floor, pausing at the top and slowly lowering back to the starting position. Experts recommend exhaling on the raising portion and inhaling on the lowering portion of any crunch exercise.
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