Medical Today

Crunches (Basic and Advanced)
Lie on your back with your hands crossed on your chest. Bend your knees at a 90-degree angle with your feet flat on the floor.

Lift your shoulders and curl your body forward, as if you were trying to touch your ribs to your pelvis.
Pause for a second, then lower your shoulders — but don’t relax your abs. Do three sets of 15 to 20 repetitions.

Straight-Arm Crunch

Every move in this workout strength­ens the muscles of your abs, back, and hips. But this core routine, also loos­ens your hamstrings, lower back, calves, hip flexors, and other areas, so you’ll finish feeling stronger and stretched. Perform the workout as a circuit, moving from one exercise to the next without rest. Pause 60 to 90 seconds after each circuit, and do three circuits in all. Do the work­out 3 days a week, taking at least a day off between workouts.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Surgeon General have all issued statements that recommend placing an emphasis on adopting physical activity into one’s lifestyle. Their intention is to make the public more aware of the health benefits associated with increased physical activity, as well as to highlight the amount and intensity of activity necessary to achieve optimal benefits.

More than 28 percent of Americans are completely sedentary (they engage in no physical activity), with an additional 60 percent being inadequately active (engaging in less than 30 minutes of activity per day). For those who strive to achieve and maintain a high quality of health, it must be recognized that physical activity is vital to optimal health. This is reaffirmed by numerous studies that have found an association between physical activity, health, longevity, and an improved quality of life. In addition, the number of deaths related to sedentary living or obesity is approximately a half million per year. Physical activity may impact quality of life in several ways: it can be used to improve self-image and self-esteem, physical wellness, and health.

Adequate physical activity is dependent on having a well-rounded program that encompasses all aspects of improving health and preventing disease. A well-rounded program includes cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, posture, and maintenance of body composition. The most effective way to participate in a well-rounded program is by following a simple mnemonic device called FITT (Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type). The FITT principle includes how many times a week one should exercise (frequency), how intense the workout should be (intensity), how long the workout is (time), and what modality to use (type of exercise). Modality is dependent primarily on what an individual prefers. This exercise prescription in based on an individual’s fitness level when entering the exercise program, and ultimately upon the goals of the individual. For example, an untrained individual who wants to lose weight and likes to walk would be placed on a program of treadmill or outdoor walking (type), for thirty minutes a day (time), three to five times per week (frequency), and of light to moderate intensity (intensity).