Whether it is to lose belly, to forge yourself summer body of the year or just to stay in shape, you do a series of abs sessions every day. But if you’re not a top athlete, this might not be the best idea you’ve ever had, and we’ll tell you why.
You risk hurting yourself … and more
First of all, let us specify that having a good abdominal belt is essential to ensure a good tonicity of the trunk. “But you certainly don’t have to do it every day”, assures Gilles Mondoloni, sports doctor in Paris. “Only athletes who are used to it, know their body and are coached can work like this.”
All right, but then what is the risk of ordinary people? “First you can tear some tendons in the pelvis, but also jam your back and cause hyper-arching. Especially if you do a series of sessions with heavy loads in the gym. “
But that’s not all. These famous sessions, associated with series of crunches (when, with your back to the ground, you raise your torso towards the knees) can also apply excessive pressure on various internal organs, whether they are digestive or not: “in women, you will also put too much pressure on organs such as the uterus or the bladder”, continues the doctor. Short, mistreatment of perineum which can cause incontinence problems over time and among other things.
Another concern: “if you go very hard and freedive, as unfortunately happens, you may also increase your blood pressure. “ And therefore to suffer, in the long term, from cardiovascular problems.
But what to do, then, to continue working on your tablets without risk?
Weight training, walking: the solutions to intelligently build your abs
First of all, know that some less traumatic exercises can be practiced more regularly to have a flat stomach. Among them are things as widespread as the various forms of sheathing (like the board), but also hypopressive abdominal exercises, during which you will mainly focus on your breathing and contract your diaphragm. Moreover, the simple fact of walking while contracting your abs can help you develop good tone.
“But the first thing to do, specifies Doctor Mondoloni, it is not to be overweight. Otherwise, you’re going to build muscle on fat and that’s counterproductive. It is therefore better to intersperse your abs sessions, limited to two or three per week, with endurance sessions to melt fat. “ This will also allow your abs to recover well.
Finally, and this is the best advice of all, learn to listen to yourself: “The idea is to work smart and pay close attention to how you feel.” And, we want to add, to take your time. Your body will thank you!
Read also:
- How long does it take to run each week to lose weight?
- 6 tips to (finally) get back to running
- Why walking is (really) good for you
