People with the sickle cell trait
should always be advised of the risks and the preventive
methods they can use to curtail loss of circulation to muscles
during an abdominal workout. Sickle shaped cells impairs
circulation and will increase the risk of injury if abdominal
muscles are stretched beyond their normal range.
Any abdominal workout that places stress on
the back poses a risk for causing some form of injury to the
spinal cord, muscle structure or the connecting tissue.
This is most likely caused by people not taking the proper
precautions by warming their muscles up before starting an
exercise regimen.
There is a workout called the Bent Over Twist that does this
type of damage to these areas of the body overtime, and serves
no purpose in an abdominal workout either.
The workout involves the exercise enthusiast holding a bar
behind the neck with their arms outstretched. From this
position they bent forward at the waist, and proceed to twist
to the right and left, in several repetitious movements.
This does exercise some oblique muscles but the strain on the
spinal erectors is sometimes beyond repair.
Care should be taken when holding a metal
weight behind the head or on the chest during an abdominal
workout. This movement causes compression on the
spinal column and has a high risk for spinal injury.
Most injuries to the spine occur at the L5 S1 vertebrae,
where pressure from straight leg double leg raises are
generally the culprit. Rather than abdominal muscles
being used, the exercise primarily relies on the Psoas
muscles to complete the work. These are the muscles that
attach to the lumbar spine and the femur.
Older people should take into consideration that their
muscles change with age. Bones will weaken as time goes
by, and might pose a risk for breaking during an abdominal
workout. Injuries occur most often in the back, knees and
ankles of older people. By listening to what your body is
saying to you, there may be a chance to avoid a surmountable
amount of pain.
The abdominal workouts for senior, and middle-aged sports
enthusiasts should strive to include at least 20 to 40 minutes
of aerobic exercise, two or three days a week. Strength
training should be done in place of aerobics on an alternating
basis. This will help with cardiovascular health problems
and increase the core strength of the body.
People that perform hard abdominal workouts on
consecutive days during a week are asking for injuries and are
definitely in line for a burnout. If you want to workout
everyday, limit the exercises and focus on other body areas,
rather than trying to gain a solid abdominal 6-pack in a
week. Injuries will occur from time to time, and when
side pains are felt, it is best to give the muscular area
several days of strict rest to remove the risk of further
injury.
Old injuries in the abdominal cavity might not fully
heal. These are areas of the body that will continually
pose a threat for re-injury, and healing from that injury will
take a longer time to achieve. Warming up muscle tissue
will give you less of a chance for re-injuring an old abdominal
wound and will get your muscles ready for the stress that they
will be faced with.
Working out your abs can have many benefits, read
about them here