Why do Sit-Ups Hurt the Tailbone? Here are the reasons

Why do Sit-Ups Hurt the Tailbone? Are you tired of holding your breath and pulling your tummy in each time you want to prove that you have a flatter tummy? Do you want a slim core? Then, you have got to do certain exercises, probably, sit-ups and crunches.

But if you don’t do them correctly, you may injure your neck and spine. Often, people confuse sit-ups with crunches. Give this post a read to know the difference between sit-ups and crunches, and ways to do sit-ups without hurting your tailbone.

Crunches

It is one of the most popular exercises for building muscles. It works on the abdominal muscles, primarily the rectus abdominis muscle and the obliques. People who are trying to get six-pack abs often do this. It strengthens your core and improves your posture and balance.

Sit-Ups

Unlike crunches, sit-ups are a multi-muscle exercise that targets the abdominal as well as other muscle groups including, hip flexors, lower back, neck, and chest. These help you burn more calories in the long run.

But if not done correctly, these may cause back pain and arching of the lower back, increasing the risk of a back injury. Your tailbone consists of nerve endings that may cause you pain if too much pressure is applied. Continue reading to find out the two major reasons why sit-ups might be hurting your back and tailbone.

Poor form and excess pressure may cause pain in your tailbone while doing sit-ups. If you have had a spine injury in the past, the chances are that you might end up hurting your back even more.

Poor Form

This is usually the first culprit for the tailbone (coccyx) pain. Ideally, when you do a sit-up, only your upper back should be lifted off the floor, allowing your lower back to protect your tailbone. This will engage your abdominal muscles without extra pressure on the tailbone.

On the other hand, if you choose to do sit-ups until your chest meets the knees, you are at a higher risk of tailbone pain. You might need better cushioning.

Excess Pressure

If you are sure that your form/posture is correct, but you are still experiencing pain, your tailbone might be the victim of improper cushioning.

Are you doing sit-ups on a bare and hard floor? If yes, then you need to stop immediately. Because this presses your spine along the hard surface that exerts excess pressure on it, leading to severe pain.

Instead, you should invest in a thick, foam exercise mat or an exercise ball to help reduce the pressure placed on your back and tailbone. This will help you engage your core muscles even more. So, it’s a WIN-WIN. Think about it!

Sit-ups are great for achieving a six-pack and a toned tummy. But what if they leave your tailbone sore and bruised? Here are the 6 steps on how to do sit-ups correctly.

• Lie down on your back on a mat. Keep your legs hip-width apart, feet flat, and spine straight.

• Push your pelvic region up so that your lower back is entirely touching the mat.

• Place your hands behind your ears without pulling your neck. You can also cross your hands to opposite shoulders. Do what you are comfortable with. Don’t strain your muscles.

• Exhale and curl your upper body all the way up toward your knees.

• Slowly, inhale, and lower yourself down to the initial position.
• Again, exhale and sit-up.

Key Highlights

• Avoid pulling yourself up with your neck.
• Don’t drop your torso suddenly when you are finishing a sit-up.
• Avoid weighing your feet down.

Contrary to what you might have heard, crunches and sit-ups are two different exercises. Though both exercises target abs, sit-ups have a fuller range of motion.

Crunches are an isolation exercise that requires raising your head and shoulders off the floor while sit-ups require lifting your entire torso.

Crunches engage the rectus abdominis (abs) almost exclusively while sit-ups engage abs with other core muscles like hip flexors and rectus femoris.

Crunches are also, sometimes, called half sit-ups.

Sit-ups are really challenging to do without rounding the lower back. And thus, these increase your chances of hurting your lumbar spine.

Sit-ups offer you various benefits like core strength improvement, increased hip flexor strength, increased flexibility, toned tummy, toned abs, and posture improvement. However, you have to be careful about performing these correctly, or you might end up hurting your back severely.

A flat tummy may protect you from obesity-related diseases, and to top that, it is always in trend! So, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and turn some heads as you transform your body. Good luck!