I Did 50 Sit-ups Every day — This is What Happened to my Body.

Sit-ups are considered a long time staple in the military’s physical fitness routine, and for good reason. This exercise strengthens the transverse abdominals, obliques, and rectus abdominis. In other words, sit-ups are the exercise of choice to get you that much-coveted rock hard abs.

So I challenged myself to do 50 sit-ups every day for a month.

2 weeks in, I became accustomed to the 50 sit-ups a day routine. However, I began to feel discomfort in my lower back. Aside from this, it seems that the sit-ups aren’t working. I did some research and discovered that sit-ups can exert too much pressure on the spine in the lumbar area. I also discovered that sit-ups aren’t as effective in improving abdominal muscles as planks or leg raises. So after only 2 weeks of 50 sit-ups every day, I stopped.

However, I still wanted a strong core. So I searched for alternatives to sit-ups and ended up with a daily workout routine that looks like this: 10 ten-second Front Planks, 10 ten-second Side Planks, 10 Lying Leg Raises, 10 Hanging Leg Raises, and 10 Ab wheel rolls. I did this every day for 30 days and experienced the following benefits.

Improved core strength.

My goal was a stronger core at the beginning, I am proud to say that I have achieved it after 30 days. This means that my lower back doesn’t hurt or feel stiff after exercising anymore. Furthermore, I no longer need to hold my breath during some exercises. Also, I noticed that my posture is better now and I can do everyday things without feeling any discomfort.

Reduced injuries.

The core stabilizes the upper body. When you have a strong core, your upper body would be properly balanced and you can avoid injuries including muscle spasms.

Strengthening your core while you are still young benefits you as you age. With a stronger core, you are less likely to experience loss of balance and posture degradation as you age.

Furthermore, muscle tightness is reduced while spinal flexibility is improved. Thus, overall flexibility and mobility are improved, and the likelihood of injuries is reduced.

Increased muscle mass along the abdomen.

Front Planks, Side Planks, Lying Leg Raises, Hanging Leg Raises, and Ab wheel rolls are exercises that target the abdominal muscles. It is expected for a person who does these exercises to have stronger and larger abdominal muscles. At some point, when you decrease your body fat percentage low enough and increase abdominal muscle mass high enough. You will have visible abs.

Strengthened diaphragm.

The diaphragm is a muscle that plays a huge part in the respiratory system. This muscle is directly responsible for inhalation and exhalation.

When your diaphragm is strong, your respiratory system can function better. When you have a good respiratory system, your entire body is better oxygenated.