Is doing sit-ups harmful to the body? Doing sit-ups can effectively exercise the abdominal muscles, promote gastrointestinal health, stretch muscles, and regulate the central nervous system. However, if not done properly, it can still cause certain injuries to the body.
Causes spinal damage
When doing sit-ups, in addition to using the abdominal muscles, the hip flexor muscles are also involved, which may lead to spinal damage. People with weak back muscles and underdeveloped muscles are particularly prone to injury. In addition, the leverage effect of the hip flexor muscles may compress the intervertebral discs.
Causes back discomfort
Many people tend to do sit-ups quickly, but this is not very efficient. Fast sit-ups primarily use the hip muscles rather than the abdominal muscles. During the exercise, the pressure is transferred to the back, which may cause discomfort in the back during or after the workout.
Causes muscle strains
When doing sit-ups, many people tend to hold their heads with their hands, causing excessive flexion and extension of the neck, or they may excessively bend forward when sitting up, which increases the risk of muscle strains in the neck and lower back.
Incorrect posture leads to uneven muscle development
Some people tend to deviate from the natural position when doing sit-ups, which can lead to uneven exercise of the abdominal muscles and result in an uneven physique.
Harm of doing sit-ups during menstruation for women
Women should avoid doing sit-ups during menstruation as it can compress the abdomen and potentially cause retrograde menstruation into the pelvic cavity. Fragments of the endometrium may adhere to the ovaries, leading to the formation of ovarian cysts.
