This book invites you to understand, better evaluate, and mitigate the risks that are inherent in certain abdominal exercises. To get in shape, or stay in shape, we often look first to our midsections and decide that we’re going to “work our abs.” Exercises to strengthen and slim the midriff are featured in gyms, fitness clubs, and every magazine at grocery-store checkout counters.
But abdominal exercises are never without potential risk, because they place in motion the very core of our bodies, in which lie:
All of these vital structures and systems can be damaged by the wrong exercises. Conversely, they can be protected by the appropriate kind of abdominal work.
No-Risk Abs lets you explore this poorly understood region of the body. Together we’ll evaluate the most frequently recommended abdominal exercises, and then we’ll see how we can improve on them. We’ll explore:
No-Risk Abs is written not exclusively for medical professionals but also for anyone who wants to better understand, practice, or teach abdominal exercises. You’ll find that the terminology in this book is designed to be accessible for the widest possible audience of readers. In particular, we have used the word abs to indicate the abdominal muscles in general, and/or the exercises that reinforce the trunk.