What's a good exercise for the tummy that is gentle on the back?

Question

Im prone to lower back ache but need to exercise & lose weight off my stomach area. Can anyone recommend a good exercise for the tummy that is gentle for the back area - most sit ups, etc., tend to aggravate my back.

Answer 1

core stability on a swiss ball is excellent. I also have a bad lower back and find this excellent. It takes a while to get the grips of so i would suggest starting with some pilates classes and when you feel comfortable enough, get your own set and do it at home.

Answer 2

swimming is the most effective all round exercise for the entire body and its gentle because the body is buoyed by the water.
aqua aerobics is a must for a body which is recovering from some or other something
at judo classes when i was in high school, we did something that nicely toned the tummy : lie on your back, both legs up in the air, feet flexed so that they're parallel with the ceiling, you reach across with one hand to the opposite foot (diagonally across) and then bring the arm back to the side. take the other hand and do it with the other foot and continue to do so for a count of 30, then 50 when you're comfortable and then 100 a day! have fun! (only move the middle torso when you stretch your hand across, the legs stay put in place at a 90% angle to the body which is flat on the floor).

Answer 3

Swimming is the best exercise for the whole body and the support of the water can help to avoid strains, otherwise yoga and pilates are gentle but really help with the overall equilibrium of your body therefore leading ultimately to more balanced weight, even if not burning thousands of calories a day.

Answer 4

you will need to do some aerobic work in conjunction with toning exercises.

swimming is great for both toning the stomach and weight loss
but try front stroke and back stroke.
breast stroke can hurt your back if not done right.

there is also a breathing exercise you can do.

Try lie on the floor with your knees bent,
put your hands resting on ur pubic muscles,
take a slow full breath in making your belly expand first then the rest of the way in.
next breath out slowly all the way until the stomach is hard.
pause for a second and repeat.

"be careful not to put too much stress on your lungs"

research yoga breathing aswel its similar.

Hope this helps!!

Answer 5

What you need to do is this,
Lay on the floor with your feet flat and knees up, not bed on your back with your feet flat and knees up.

Between your bum and the part of your back that's touching the floor is like an arch bit of your back where your kidneys are, you need to flatten that down as if you are holding a piece of paper down.

Now very gently lift and lower your knees, this will slowly improve the muscle tone in ALL of the tummy muscles and eventually help with your back problems.

When you feel strong enough straighten your legs and start doing
it like that.

Answer 6

Hi Mamie!

You can't spot reduce fat off your stomach by situps. What you need to do is lose body fat to get rid of the tummy. Thus, keep your calories to 1500 per day or less and stay active. If you want exercise the muscles that are underneath the fat, abdominal crunches are low impact on your back.

I believe this answers your question, but if not, you may email me.

Good luck on your diet and fitness goals!

Trainer Gregg
[e-mail]
"You can achieve anything you set your mind on."

Answer 7

I went to a physical therapist a couple of years ago bc of lower back pain. She taught me how to do some exercises to strengthen my stomach muscles in effort to better support my body, in turn, taking some of the strain off of my back. The upside was it helped tone my stomach, I noticed a difference in 2 weeks. There are a couple exercises she gave me to do:

Lay on your back on the floor, knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Between your lower back and the floor, there is a gap b.c of the natural curve in your back. Using your stomach muscles only, push towards the floor, getting your back as flat to the floor as possible, holding it for about a second or two. Repeat as many times as you want.

Using the same position on the floor, press your back to the floor using your stomach muscles. This time lift your knees and "march" in the air, keeping your stomach muscles tight. I recommend doing it about 75 times. It will be hard for awhile until you get used to it, but it's very effective. Increase the number of times as you progress.

Okay, last one. Using the same technique in the first 2, lay on the floor, pressing your back against the floor using your stomach muscles, lift both of your knees (as if you were sitting in a chair, laying down), tuck a small pillow btwn your knees. Hold the pillow btwn your knees using your knees only and keep your back pressed against the floor, while doing that, lower and raise the lower halves of your legs, one at a time (as if you were walking with your knees tied together). This one really works and a little harder b.c it REALLY works. Do it about 50-75 times.

I promise your stomach will tone AND your back will feel better too. I do them about 3 times a week before I go to bed, but it's also a good morning routine to wake you up. Oh, when you get out of bed, roll out of bed instead of sitting straight up...takes some of the strain off your back. And visit a chiropractor. I've been doing these exercises and seeing the chiropractor and I haven't had any serious problems in over 18 months now. Good luck!

Answer 8

I totally sympathise. i've had 5 ops on my back in a year.

I was given a tip by a physio once on helping strengthen my back and it was smiply to hold in my stomach muscles and to train myself to do it. its hard at first, you forget to breathe when you're clenching the muscles, but you do get use to it. its second nature to me now and i have a nice flat stomach with strong muscles that take the pressure off my back muscles.

also my pain management consultant who did my ops recommended i buy a cross trainer as it will work out most of the muscles on the body and is low impact so therefore doesn't irritate the back

Answer 9

Try sits ups and crunches using a large balance ball. Sit on the very edge of the ball, till your butt is almost falling of of it, with your toes up against a wall. Do situps this way- the ball being slightly behind you will support your back.

Answer 10

Lay down & roll your pelvis up & hold for 10 sec.repeat also lift one leg at a time for 10 sec then do the same with your neck lift your head.