- TRENDING
-
![[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks](../wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Butt-Stretch_Fotor1-450x150.jpg "[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks")
[Workout Plans] Limber Up For Battle With Our 5 Minute Foam Rolling Repertoire*The 5 Minute Foam Rolling Repertoire is part 2 in our series on foam rolling. Before jumping in, read through part 1, which provides a FULL-blown primer on all-things foam rolling. [I]t's... -
![[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks](../wp-content/uploads/2013/12/20110526InvictusRoller9343-631x421-450x150.jpg "[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks")
How To Foam Roll Your Way To Reduced Pain, Regenerated Muscles, And Improved Mobility [Infographic][W]elcome to a brave new world. Whether you're a world-class athlete, running aficionado, or lifting legionnaire, foam rolling is an absolute must-do for anyone that exercises regularly. If... -
![[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks](../wp-content/uploads/2015/08/salmon-450x150.jpg "[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks")
5 Omega-3 & Mineral Rich Seafoods To Stuff Into Your Fitness DietImage: Shutterstock [F]or most of us who are starting a fitness routine, we know which exercises to start with but diet can be a little bit more confusing. We tend to forget to eat right even... -
![[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks](../wp-content/uploads/2015/08/1902652489-450x150.jpg "[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks")
The Workout Music Friday Five-Pack, V30 — Drake, Audien, Lady Antebellum, and Tove Lo[G]et amped. Every Friday we're dropping a five-pack of heart-thumping, blood-pumping workout songs to build out your playlist, hardwire a little energy into your workouts, and kickstart the... -
![[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks](../wp-content/uploads/2015/08/xoblique-exercises-for-women_1-1024x779.pagespeed.ic_.mk7MDA_Mms-450x150.jpg "[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks")
[WOTM, 08/2015] Chisel Out Your Abs With The Oblique Obliterator Workout Gauntlet[C]hip, chip, chip away. When people think of gorgeous, tight, lickable abs, the six-pack muscles (aka the rectus abdominis) immediately jump into mind. They're glamorized by every Hollywood... -
![[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks](../wp-content/uploads/2015/08/x-men-apocalypse-olivia-munn-s-psylocke-deadpool-gambit-olivia-munn-joins-the-x-men-370004-450x150.jpg "[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks")
Olivia Munn Is An Absolute BEAST In Combat Training Video For X-Men: Apocalypse [Video]A video posted by Olivia Munn (@oliviamunn) on Aug 1, 2015 at 11:15am PDT [Y]ou should be VERY, very scared of Olivia Munn. At least while she's training for her role as Psylocke—a... -
![[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks](../wp-content/uploads/2015/07/can-of-Coca-Cola-500x500-450x150.jpg "[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks")
The Coke Effect: What Happens In Your Body After Chugging A Can Of Coke [Infographic][P]ssssssssh, how bad can an itty, bitty 140 calories really be? Not that it's mind-blowing whatsoever—we've been hating on soda hardcore for years—but if that 140 comes straight from a... -
![[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks](../wp-content/uploads/2015/07/maxresdefault-5-450x150.jpg "[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks")
The Workout Music Friday Five-Pack, V29 — Kaskade, Meek Mill, Major Lazer, & Martin Garrix[G]et amped. Every Friday we're dropping a five-pack of heart-thumping, blood-pumping workout songs to build out your playlist, hardwire a little energy into your workouts, and kickstart the... -
![[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks](../wp-content/uploads/2015/06/saladgreens_main-450x150.jpg "[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks")
Upgrade Your Lettuce Game — Boost Your Nutrient Intake 3000% With This Two Second Salad HackImage: Epicurious [W]hat if we told you one mindless—and laughably easy—nutrition hack could boost your vitamin K, vitamin A, and vitamin C intake by over 3000%, and your potassium, calcium,... -
![[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks](../wp-content/uploads/2015/07/jump-rope-2-benefits-promo-450x150.jpg "[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks")
The Degree #GetMoving Challenge Week 4 — Push Yourself To Exhaustion With Crunch-Jump Rope Uber Supersets*This article originally appeared in Men's Health and was adapted for Lean It UP. [D]IPSET, DIPSET, DIPSET. We're halfway there. If you've been moving vigorously and maxing out over the... -
![[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks](../wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Screenshot-2015-07-13-18.26.22-450x150.png "[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks")
10 Naked World Class Athletes Dish On Body Image & Feeling Awesome In Your Own Skin [PHOTOS][O]ne size doesn't fit all. Want a little explosive inspiration to light up your week? Look no further than the lineup of world class athletes gracing the pages—completely au naturel—of... -
![[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks](../wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Screenshot-2015-07-08-14.45.00-450x150.png "[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks")
The Degree #GetMoving Challenge Week 2 — MAX OUT Your Body With Explosive Lunges, Push Ups, & Squats*This article originally appeared in Men's Health and was adapted for Lean It UP. [A]aaaaaaaaaaaand we're off. After a relatively simple week one—walk 12,500 steps/day—the Degree...
-
![[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks](../wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Butt-Stretch_Fotor1-190x190.jpg "[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks")
![[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks](../wp-content/uploads/2013/12/20110526InvictusRoller9343-631x421-190x190.jpg "[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks")
![[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks](../wp-content/uploads/2015/08/salmon-190x190.jpg "[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks")
![[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks](../wp-content/uploads/2015/08/1902652489-190x190.jpg "[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks")
![[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks](../wp-content/uploads/2015/08/xoblique-exercises-for-women_1-1024x779.pagespeed.ic_.mk7MDA_Mms-190x190.jpg "[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks")
![[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks](../wp-content/uploads/2015/08/x-men-apocalypse-olivia-munn-s-psylocke-deadpool-gambit-olivia-munn-joins-the-x-men-370004-190x190.jpg "[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks")
![[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks](../wp-content/uploads/2015/07/can-of-Coca-Cola-500x500-190x190.jpg "[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks")
![[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks](../wp-content/uploads/2015/07/maxresdefault-5-190x190.jpg "[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks")
![[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks](../wp-content/uploads/2015/06/saladgreens_main-190x190.jpg "[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks")
![[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks](../wp-content/uploads/2015/07/jump-rope-2-benefits-promo-190x190.jpg "[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks")
![[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks](../wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Screenshot-2015-07-13-18.26.22-190x190.png "[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks")
![[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks](../wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Screenshot-2015-07-08-14.45.00-190x190.png "[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks")
[The Gym Bag, Week 1] The Best Ab Exercises For People With Lower Back Pain, Low Cal Drinks
The Gym Bag is Lean It UP’s weekly reader Q&A. Every Friday we’ll pick a few of YOUR questions from Twitter, Facebook, and around the site, and weigh-in with our (concise) PoV. Curious about ANYTHING at all (everything goes)? Tweet @LeanItUP with the #LeanItUP hashtag, ask us on Facebook, or send in your questions here.
Q: Out of curiosity… are there any ab exercises you can recommend for people who *do* have lower back problems?
A: If you didn’t already notice, lower back pain is extremely common: an estimated that 31 million Americans have lower back pain, and 80% will experience it at some point in their lives.1 It’s beyond excruciating for those that have it, and the majority of ab exercises only exacerbate pre-existing pain. First off, three BIG exercise patterns to avoid if you DO have lower back pain:
- Core rotation and twisting — bicycle crunches, mason twists, cable woodchoppers, etc.
- Lifting your legs from a supine position (supine = lying on your back) — leg lifts, reverse crunches, etc.
- Traditional crunches and sit-ups
Lower back pain limits the spectrum of exercises available to directly target abs, but don’t throw a tantrum — there are a bunch of effective options for overall core development that ultimately feed into abdominal growth. When done correctly there shouldn’t be any pain, and they actually can help strengthen the region and prevent future problems.
Here are my recommendations (click for video demos):
- Swiss Ball Crunches
- BOSU Ball Crunches
- Partial Sit Ups — Keep your middle/lower back on the floor at all times and raise your upper back slightly.
- Bird Dogs
- Knee Planks — ALWAYS maintain a strong, straight spine. Keep sets short if necessary.
- Side Planks
- Core Bridges
- Swiss Ball Back Extensions — Don’t hyperextend too far at the top; work within a comfortable RoM.
- Swiss Ball Wall Crunches — Place 1 or both legs on the wall to engage your entire core.
- Lying Supermans
- Prone Flutter Kicks
Stretching is also KEY. Any sedentary, chair-chained lifestyle creates tight hamstrings and hip flexors — both foster immobility and lower back pain.
@leanitup can you tell me what the lowest cal alcoholic drank is?! #vodkasoda #ftw?
— Denise (@Yehdawg89) April 29, 2013
A: My SAT answer would be shots, but that’s not a practical/healthy solution. For the best alcohol-to-calorie ratio, without tasting miserable, go with the following:
Vodka soda with a twist of lime and fresh mint. Flavored seltzer can also layer on an additional dimension, sans calories or sugar. 97 calories, 0g sugar.- A glass of wine. 125 calories, 1.5g sugar.
- Bloody Mary. 80 calories, 3g sugar.
- Screwdriver (vodka & OJ) or Vodka Cranberry, both with REAL fruit juice. 145 calories, 20g sugar.
- Rum & Diet Coke. I don’t condone drinking diet soda on a regular basis, but if you’re mixing it’s a better option than regular soda. 97 calories, 0g sugar.
- Gin & Diet Tonic. 97 calories, 0g sugar.
- A real mojito, like this, with rum, lime, mint, club soda, and a little added sugar. 110 calories, 4g sugar.
If you’re interested in the long-winded, in-depth answer, check out our article here: ‘How To Drink Lean, And The Skinny On Which Summer Cocktails Will Destroy Your Belly (And Which Won’t)‘
Follow Lean It UP on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest for real-time fitness/nutrition tips, advice, info and updates.
References, Notes, Links
.jpg)
Bryan DiSanto
He also contributes to Men's Health Magazine.
When he’s not working on his (or somebody else’s) abs, whipping up Eggocados, or running a Tough Mudder, he’s probably off yelling at a Carolina Panthers game somewhere.
Latest posts by Bryan DiSanto (see all)
- [Workout Plans] Limber Up For Battle With Our 5 Minute Foam Rolling Repertoire - August 26, 2015
- How To Foam Roll Your Way To Reduced Pain, Regenerated Muscles, And Improved Mobility [Infographic] - August 25, 2015
- The Workout Music Friday Five-Pack, V30 — Drake, Audien, Lady Antebellum, and Tove Lo - August 14, 2015
-
Ashley Colette Dadaglio
-
https://www.leanit-up.com/ Bryan DiSanto
-
Lean It UP is a web community that touches all ends of the fitness spectrum. We regularly publish workout plans, nutritional analysis, product reviews, supplement advice, recipes, and other related content that can help inform and educate on the most effective, practical ways to improve fitness levels, aesthetics, and overall health. We want to help YOU build your own perfect body -- hop on for the ride. 
