With six-pack abs seen as the ultimate fitness achievement, many are eager to learn how to achieve those well-defined muscles. According to Village Gym, “how to get a six-pack” is one of the top Google searches, with 145,200 people annually seeking to find out how to get a washboard stomach.
It’s understandable why. Beyond aesthetics, stronger abs contribute to flexibility and balance (via Healthline). Increased muscle tone also boosts metabolism, bone strength, and energy levels, as noted by Livestrong. Hence, it might seem logical that daily ab exercises are the key to stronger abdominals.
But what happens to your body when you do ab exercises daily — and is it advisable? Here at NCPIC, we sought to find out. Join us as we explore.
Your core will get stronger when you do ab exercises every day
The abs form a significant part of your body’s central trunk, linking the upper and lower halves, making strength crucial. Fortunately, doing ab exercises daily can lead to a stronger core over time.
The abdominals consist of four main muscles: the rectus abdominis, which creates the six-pack look; the external obliques on each side of the torso; the internal obliques, situated beneath the external obliques; and the transversus abdominis, a deep muscle encircling the torso aiding in respiration (via Verywell Fit).
When exercising, these muscles develop tiny tears that, upon recovery, grow stronger, according to Self. Over time, the muscles become more toned. Therefore, focusing on abs effectively strengthens your core, provided you allow adequate recovery and target all four main stomach muscles, such as with planks (via Shape).
If you strengthen your abs, you’ll be less likely to get an injury when doing other sports
Our bodies are a complex network of muscles working together during exercise to support the entire body. Exercising your abs daily can lower your injury risk during other activities like sports. How?
According to Bridge Athletic, the core plays a role in nearly every athletic action. Strengthening it reduces the need for other muscles to compensate, decreasing joint pressure.
Scientific studies also support the connection between core strength and athletic performance. A 2011 study in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy noted a link between core stability and enhanced athletic ability. For those seeking to stay injury-free during workouts, daily ab exercises could be beneficial.
You risk overtraining when doing ab exercises every day
The urge to improve fitness often leads to wanting to work out constantly until achieving a physique reminiscent of Greek deities, right? No? Just us?
However, it’s crucial to recognize the risk of muscle overuse with daily ab exercises, which might cause harm. As Livestrong explains, overtraining can lead to significant muscle soreness, risking serious injury and potential muscle tears, both in your abs and other muscles that might need to compensate for weakened abdominals.
More generally, overtraining can result in an inability to exercise, prolonged recovery, poor sleep, and demotivation, according to the Hospital for Special Surgery. To avoid this, incorporate rest days and listen to your body — remember, daily workouts might counteract your goals.
Daily ab exercises could lead to a neck injury
Training your abs, especially with exercises like crunches and sit-ups that involve lying on the floor, can inadvertently engage other muscles. While that might seem beneficial, it can be problematic if your neck gets involved.
Physical therapist and strength conditioning specialist Mike Reinold told Self, “If your abdominal muscles are weak and inefficient, you may compensate with the neck to get through the exercise.” Reinold emphasized that neck strain during exercise indicates improper form, leading to neck pain and strain, as per Shape.
During daily ab exercises, focus on minimizing neck engagement. Ensure correct form by engaging the abs instead of the upper body. And if it hurts, stop immediately.
Ab exercises may help treat back pain
While daily ab exercises primarily benefit the front of your body, they can also positively impact your back. In a Q&A with the Cleveland Clinic, physical therapy doctor and strength specialist Patti Mariano Kopasakis pointed out the link between core strength and back pain. Strengthening core muscles, especially around the lower back, prevents relying on “passive structures” for support, like ligaments, spinal bones, and discs, which can lead to back pain.
Although Kapasakis acknowledged that specific core exercises alone might not alleviate back pain, she noted that core-focused workouts can provide extra benefits alongside general exercise. Movements like planks, side planks, and bird dogs can aid in reducing back pain.
Your muscles could become imbalanced when you do ab exercises every day
Daily ab exercises often aim for a toned stomach. But having defined abs while neglecting other muscles isn’t ideal. Focusing solely on abs and ignoring other areas can lead to muscle imbalances, where certain muscles become stronger than others, as Marc Perry, a certified strength and conditioning coach, explained in Built Lean.
This imbalance can arise if other body muscles aren’t equally trained or if focus remains solely on front abs, neglecting obliques. Perry warned that this could result in “postural problems” and injury.
If daily ab workouts are your goal, also target other body muscles. Even within ab exercises, engage all muscles, not just the rectus abdominis or six-pack muscle.
Depending on the ab exercises you’re doing daily, you could be hurting your spine
Ab exercises involve your core, back, and naturally, your spine. As the body’s structural center, protecting the spine is vital. If you’re performing ab exercises daily, monitor their impact on spine health. Some exercises might strain it.
Consider sit-ups. During sit-ups, your spine presses into the ground, and hip flexors — muscles connecting legs and trunk — engage (via Healthbeat). Imbalanced hip flexors can tug the lower spine, causing stress, discomfort, and pain. This isn’t ideal for spine health, especially with daily exercises.
Instead, include movements that better support your back, like front or side planks, dying bugs, or ab wheel rollouts, as suggested by NBC News. Your spine will appreciate it!
You won’t necessarily lose weight when doing ab exercises every day
Ab exercises can make you appear slimmer, more toned, and give you a six-pack. But the outcome depends on your body weight and fat percentage — ab exercises alone won’t necessarily lead to weight loss.
As Healthline notes, ab exercises will strengthen your stomach. Yet, if covered by a fat layer, visible results may not manifest. Ab exercises don’t reduce subcutaneous belly fat on their own, according to various studies cited by the publication. The concept of “spot reduction” is a myth.
To reveal abdominal muscles, focus on lowering overall body fat. Incorporate cardio into your workout routine, which, as the Cleveland Clinic states, aids in weight loss and management. Even if weight loss isn’t your goal, cardio can benefit you by reducing heart disease risk, lowering blood pressure, and boosting “good” cholesterol.
Your balance could improve when you do ab exercises daily
The core’s role in daily functions is crucial, providing essential body support. Engaging in daily ab and core exercises can enhance your balance, keeping you steady. Kailin Collins, a physical therapist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital, told Harvard Health Letter, “Core strength is intimately related to balance, because you need good stability at your core to have safe and effective movement at the hip, knee, and ankle.”
Balance is important at any life stage, but even more so in later years when balance issues can become more pronounced. A 2014 study in the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity found that increased core strength in older adults led to improved balance performance, recommending core exercises as a permanent part of elderly balance training.
Could ab exercises improve your posture?
If you spend long hours hunched over a laptop like us, you might be interested to know that ab exercises can improve posture. Yes, we could all benefit from this.
According to WebMD, core training is “the best way” to improve posture, as it stabilizes your pelvis and spine, aiding proper torso movement, resulting in a healthier stance. WebMD suggests single leg extensions, crossovers, and planks for better posture.
However, reconsider daily core exercises. According to Built Lean, daily ab exercises, especially crunches, can cause abs to contract, becoming shorter and tighter, potentially worsening posture. Instead, try what WebMD calls “the new crunch” or “curl-up,” which strengthens the rectus abdominis and obliques, enhancing core strength and posture.
Strengthening your abs will strengthen your pelvic floor
While exercising, you might focus on visible benefits. However, strengthening muscles can also have significant internal effects. Daily ab exercises may contribute to a stronger pelvic floor.
The pelvic floor supports the bladder, bowel, and in women, the uterus. It plays a vital role in waste discharge, sexual function, and childbirth (via Healthline). Pelvic floor function can decline with age or weaken after childbirth.
A weak pelvic floor can lead to issues like incontinence and flatulence control problems, making it crucial to maintain strength. According to Health, exercises targeting lower abs, such as toe taps and hip bridges, can help maintain or strengthen the pelvic floor.
Your hip flexors might be working too hard when you do ab exercises every day
While daily ab exercises should logically strengthen abs, incorrect form might hinder results. If hip flexors engage during exercises, gains may be reduced.
The hip flexors connect legs and core, assisting in bending legs and knees toward the torso (via Verywell Fit). While related to abdominal muscles, they aren’t part of the four main core muscles associated with strength and defined abs.
During exercises like roll ups, where the upper body meets the lower body, hip flexors may activate, taking strain away from abs, according to Verywell Fit. While helpful, this means abs get less of a workout. Maintain proper form to focus on desired muscles during ab exercises.
Ab exercises could just help you sleep better
Daily exercise significantly affects bodily systems and functions, sometimes in unexpected ways, like sleep health. Regular ab exercises may help you drift off more easily.
A study led by Jason Bennie, an associate professor at the University of Southern Queensland, explored the link between resistance training and sleep quality in over 23,000 adults. Bennie noted to Runner’s World that while previous studies examined aerobic exercise and sleep, “our study was the first to describe the associations between muscle-strengthening exercise and sleep quality, especially among a large population sample.”
The study found a positive link between resistance training and sleep quality, with similar impacts on those training once a week or five times per week. Thus, the well-known relationship between exercise and good sleep extends to strength training (via Johns Hopkins Medicine). Excellent news for regular ab workout enthusiasts!
Ab exercises can help you recover from surgery faster
Recovering from medical and surgical procedures requires time, patience, and effort. Fortunately, daily ab exercises may aid recovery from surgery, such as a Caesarian section (C-section).
Isa Herrara, a pelvic floor physical therapist and strength coach, told Livestrong that daily ab exercises can help in many ways. “Anyone fully healed from surgery or recovering from back surgery, Cesarean birth, or back issues could do abs daily to heal their pain, improve posture, and boost stamina for athletic activities,” the expert explained.
However, post-surgery, your body needs time and care to heal. Before starting daily ab exercises for recovery, consult a healthcare professional for advice on safely resuming physical activity. Attempting to exercise too soon may cause more harm than good.
