If there was ever a period in your life during which you worked out regularly, you would be familiar with sit-ups and crunches, for both these exercises are done to tone the abdomen region.
They are categorized as middle body exercises and on an abs day, one or both of these are sure to be a part of your regime.
When it comes to deciding upon which of these exercises is better, the answer cannot be a simplistic choice for both the exercises work in different ways for the body and differ in multiple ways otherwise.
Here is all that you need to know about sit ups and crunches, and which one might prove to better for you.
1. Sit ups
For beginners who wish to build endurance, sit-ups are just the right form of exercise. You lie on your back with full range of motion and bent knees and lift yourself off the ground with hands behind you head until the upper body reaches the legs. The torso region is principally used in this movement and the core is exercised well. At a glance, it may seem that sit ups target only the upper abs region but they actually involve a lot more. A group of core muscles, obliques, the hip flexors and the neck flexors are muscles which are exercised during sit-ups.
Benefits
Sit-ups help strengthen the core muscles that play a major part in everyday activities. They also help build abs endurance by exercising them. Better posture and balance are also attained through the practice of sit-ups and they decrease the risk of back injuries in people. The diaphragm is also strengthened by regular practice of pushups and individuals who wish to have more defined abs should perform sit-ups regularly.
2. Crunches
Crunches are very similar to sit-ups except for the fact that they require limited movement in contrast to the full range of movement that is required in sit ups. Lifting the body up with bent legs and bringing the shoulder blades slightly off the ground, and going back to the initial position with hands either at the back of the head or in front of the body is defined as crunches.
Benefits
Crunches are great for the abs as they activate them and strengthen them. The lower back muscles are also activated by crunches. They target a number of muscles in our trunk and torso which make both these parts strong. In addition to this, crunches do not cause any spinal strain because of the limited movement that takes place while performing them. Due to less movement, the core muscles stay contracted for longer periods of time and this makes way for a stronger core.
A comparison
In case of people who wish to work the abdomen muscles specifically, crunches are a better choice. They help isolate the core muscles and exercise them. While sit-ups target a lot of muscles including the neck and hip flexors, crunches target the abs specifically. They are also the better choice for beginners because they are less likely to make mistakes while performing crunches because of the limited movement of the spine. Crunches also don’t require any additional assistance.
The spine and risk of spinal injuries is much higher in performing sit-ups as compared to crunches. Since in crunches, the torso is not lifted off the ground completely, they cause much less strain on the spine. Given all of these points of comparison, crunches are clearly the popular choice for beginners and those who wish to have six pack abs, but it is ultimately your choice to see which exercise suits you and your body better.
