01/4Read on to know more!

Read on to know more!

Crunches are certainly considered as one of the most popular exercises to get strong and chiselled abs. The craze for this particular exercise is such that you will often find people stressing on this one move, rather than focusing on their entire body. The reaction is understandable as everyone wants to have a flat and well-toned tummy. But one can only reap the benefits of crunches by performing it correctly. Usually, people complain about having neck pain while doing crunches (or even after). If you too are dealing with a similar issue, then we will tell you the reason behind it and how to get rid of it.

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02/4​Crunches and neck problem

​Crunches and neck problem

Neck pain while doing crunches does not mean that you are strengthening your neck muscle. It indicates that your form is not correct.

A large majority of people who perform crunches experience stiffness and pain in their neck muscle. The reasons being they perform the crunch from their upper body, which originally should be done engaging the abdominal muscle. Ideally while performing crunches you have to lift the upper half your body that includes your neck and shoulders. Some people lift more than the upper half of their body. Due to this, their head may lag behind, disrupting the normal curve of the spine, which causes strain in the neck muscle. While performing crunches, your spine, starting right from your lower back to the head should be in line. If your head lags, you might put extra pressure to bring it up and may experience neck pain.

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03/4​How to correct this problem

​How to correct this problem

Here are two things you can do while performing crunches to avoid neck pain.

-Always keep your eyes to the horizon. Tuck your chin down as if you are holding a ball under it.

-Keep your elbows open and do not pull your head with the help of your hands.

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04/4​The bottom line

​The bottom line

If you really want to get washboard abs then add different kinds of exercises in your workout routine. Our abdomen is made up of numerous small and large muscles. However, crunches only target your rectus abdominis muscle. Bird-dog, woodchop, spider plank are some exercises that can help you target other core muscles.

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