Don't do this core exercise

Hey JKC readers,

I was checking out the free 24-hour newspaper the other day and came across the "Move It! 24-minute workout."

From 24hrs.ca.

It had a picture and description of a "core" exercise that targeted the "lower, side abs." It was called the "knee drop" exercise.

The short article claims that this exercise is a "shortcut to flatter, stronger abs."

To perform the exercise, you lie on your back with your feet flat on the ground. Place a medicine ball in between your knees, draw your belly button to your spine, brace your low back "by the floor throughout the action" and "lower knees to left side, then return them centre...repeat action on right side." Then it gives you a set and rep scheme to follow.

!DO [NOT] DO THIS CORE EXERCISE!

I'm sure you've heard of the term "core stability" in the past few years. In a nutshell, that basically means "minimize movement in the low back region known as the lumbar spine." Minimal rotation, minimal side bending, minimal flexing and minimal extension.

The lumbar spine was NOT designed to move in a large range of motion while the thoracic spine (upper back) IS designed to rotate, flex and extend.

The exercise described above is also known as the "windshield wiper" and PROMOTES MOVEMENT/INSTABILITY in the lumbar spine! Even though the description states that you should keep the back braced to the floor throughout the movement, you will not be able to because of the large range of motion the knees move through...and to boot, you're holding extra resistance in between your knees!!! THIS IS BAD!! LOADED ROTATION THROUGH THE LUMBAR SPINE!!

As a side note, the description also eludes to SPOT REDUCTION, which ALSO IS WRONG and DOES NOT HAPPEN in real life! It might in your dreams, but sorry to tell you, it just doesn't work like that.

To prevent back pain, stability exercises are needed. A beginners progression would start with simple planks and progress to more difficult exercises. By the way, a sample progression would not be holding a front plank for 30 seconds and progressing to holding for 60 seconds.

A BETTER progression would be: after being able to perform the front plank for 30 seconds, make the movement more difficult by doing 10-15 pushups instead. A pushup is another version of a front plank...it's just performed on your hands and is dynamic in nature.

You can also check out my new article in this month's IMPACT for better exercises that challenge core stability and the anti-rotation function of the torso muscles.

So if you're training for HEALTH or PERFORMANCE, stability exercises are what you're looking for...NOT THE EXERCISE above.

Thanks for reading,

Jon-Erik Kawamoto

PS. This is in no way any offense to 24 hours or the author of that short article. I'm just sharing knowledge and my opinion with you. Thanks again for reading.