Back pain while doing crunches?

Question

I do crunches once in a while, and often after 20ish reps, I often feel pain in my lower back while doing them. Is this normal, or am I doing them incorrectly? Does anyone else experience this problem? How can this be fixed?

Answer 1

My personal trainer tels me to clinch my abs and hold them tight. Do not use head or neck and your abs should perform a rocking motion. You should rock your abs and not strain to much and try to keep your back on the ground.

Answer 2

well, obviously you are suppose to feel some pain, but if ur a developing teenager or older it shouldent really hurt at 15-20 crunches. try putting ur hands in a diffrent place, or sit on a pillow and put ur feet under a couch or something

Answer 3

You're doing it incorrectly. You should feel like your stomach is pulling you up, not your arms and back are pushing.

Clinch your stomach tight, and make it do the work. Even if your back pain doesn't go away, it will severly lessen.

Answer 4

You should never experience Pain while doing a exercise movement and when you begin to experience Pain you must STop to avoid injury.Why involve your back at all for in orer to do effective crunches it is only necessary to lift shoulders off the floor and NOT the entire back(old fashioned way).Clasp Your hands behind your head but DO NOT Pull on your Neck then Lift shouilders off the floor and crunch breathing out on the lift and in reclining back but not all the way bck on the floor.You will feel your abdominal muscles working. If you are taking your back all the way off the floor and feeling pain the supporting Muscles(Abdomial) are weak so do abdominal movements , a full breath movement 15-20 Reps and do crunches at the end.Go to www.abdominal.muscles.com for illustrations. do a search for Abdominal Workout-will find many sites. It is important you warmup, 10 minutes of aerobic,can jog in place and then do stretching before your specific muscle workouts. Warmup before stretching for warm muscles stretch easier which prevents injury.Rest Your back until no pain at all.It is nevar a good idea to keep on exercising when you feel pain for often leaads to injury and pulled muscles/tendons /ligaments etc take a long time to heal. Put Icepack on back where it hurts and Heat pack-you can alternate. If pain persists then you must got see a MD-Orthopedic doctor first(Not Chiropractor).

Answer 5

if it hurts...stop that!