Are Sit-Ups Bad for You?

You might remember doing sit-ups in elementary school physical education (PE) classes. But the consensus on their usefulness has shifted. The sit-up exercise is meant to strengthen abdominal muscles, but new research suggests that there may be better ways to build a strong core. Below, we discuss the latest findings. 

Are sit-ups considered bad for you?

Sit-ups aren’t necessarily bad for you. But they can stress your back, hips, and neck, which may increase pain and injury in certain people who are at risk. As a result, many fitness experts advise against doing sit-ups. The U.S. Army, for instance, started removing sit-ups from its training regimen after a study found that the exercise accounted for more than half of self-reported injuries among Army personnel.

Let’s take a closer look at the sit-up. The exercise uses abdominal flexion (or bending your back) to strengthen core muscles using this basic technique:

• Step 1: Begin by lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.

• Step 2: Put your arms behind your head or cross them over your chest. 

• Step 3: Lift your shoulders toward your knees until your entire back is off the floor and you’re sitting up.

• Step 4: Hold for a moment, and then slowly lower back to the ground.

But the exercise can be hard on your back. Sit-ups require you to repetitively flex your trunk. And this increases pressure and strain on several structures in your back. This movement exerts compressive forces on your spine. These forces may cause or contribute to lower back pain and injuries such as a strained muscle or herniated disc.

Sit-ups also engage the hip flexors, a group of muscles along the front of the pelvis. The hip flexors help stabilize your torso as you lift your upper body from the floor. But when tight or overworked, the hip flexors pull on your lower back, which may cause back pain, anterior pelvic tilt, and other muscle imbalances.

Doing any exercise with incorrect form can increase the risk of injuries. And sit-ups are no exception. Mistakes –– like pulling on your neck –– may lead to neck strain or other issues.

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Benefits vs. disadvantages of sit-ups

When done with proper form, sit-ups may provide benefits such as:

• Strengthening abdominal and core muscles

• Increasing muscular endurance

• Promoting good posture by strengthening the core

Sit-ups were once a staple in calisthenics workouts and fitness tests. Today, many people practice the exercise to burn belly fat. But contrary to popular belief, you can’t target weight loss to a specific body part. This small study found that sit-ups and other abdominal exercises didn’t reduce abdominal fat or circumference. While sit-ups work the abs, they’re not particularly efficient at engaging large muscle groups.

As mentioned, sit-ups can put a lot of stress on your muscles and joints. This can result in pain or injury, especially if you do the exercise improperly. Common sit-up mistakes include:

• Pulling on your neck

• Shifting your elbows forward

• Arching your lower back

• Using momentum to swing up or lower down to the floor

• Not lifting your torso high enough

That's why some researchers suggest other core-strengthening exercises, like plank variations, that work glute and shoulder muscles in addition to the abdominals. If you’re new to exercise, consider beginner-friendly moves like forearm planks or glute bridges.

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You may need to avoid sit-ups if you have any of the following conditions:

• Lower back pain

• Spinal injuries or conditions such as a herniated disc, degenerative disc disease, or sciatica

• Osteoporosis

What are the best sit-up alternatives?

Fortunately, other core-strengthening exercises may have a lower risk of injury than sit-ups.

High planks

A plank is a compound exercise that works your core, upper body, and lower body. A standard plank involves holding the top of a push-up for a period:

• Step 1: Start face-down in a forearm plank with your forearms and toes touching the floor. Your elbows should be directly under your shoulders, with your weight evenly balanced between your forearms and your toes. 

• Step 2: Move to a high plank by shifting your weight to your left side and placing your right palm on the floor. Push through your arm to straighten it (elbow extension). Then shift to the right, place your left palm on the floor, and extend your left elbow.

• Step 3: In this high plank position, check your form. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your heels. Keep your neck neutral by looking at a spot just past your hands. 

• Step 4: Contract your abs to engage your core. Hold the plank for 20 seconds before lowering to the floor. 

Mountain climbers

Scaling a mountain is a full-body workout that uses muscle groups in your legs, arms, and core. The mountain climber exercise allows you to reap some of the benefits of climbing a mountain without the inconvenience or risk: 

• Step 1: Start in a high plank position (see above).

• Step 2: Pull your right knee toward your chest in one smooth motion. Don’t let your foot touch the floor. Engage your core as you hold your right thigh as close to your chest as you can. 

• Step 3: Relax and extend your leg to the original plank position.

• Step 4: Repeat steps 2 and 3 with your left leg, bringing your knee to your chest, holding, and moving back down to the plank position. 

• Step 5: Continue alternating the movement with each leg, increasing your speed if able. It will feel almost like you’re running in place while in a high plank position.

Leg raises

Leg raises are a great way to work your hip flexors, quads, and core while strengthening small stabilizing muscles. The exercise also engages lower abdominal muscles. Unlike sit-ups, it doesn’t require much spinal flexion. The key is to keep your core stable throughout the movement.

Standard leg raises are done with both legs at once. You can swap them for single-leg raises for lower intensity, lifting and lowering one leg at a time:

• Step 1: Lie flat on your back with your legs straight, feet together, and arms at your sides. You can place your hands under your hips for extra support.

• Step 2: Engage your core and raise your legs until they’re directly over your hips. Your body will form an L-shape at the top of the leg raise.

• Step 3: Slowly lower your legs until they’re just above the floor, and hold for a moment before raising your legs again. 

Dead bug

Like leg raises, dead bugs have you lie on your back to work your core. Dead bugs also keep pressure off your lower back, making them a great alternative to sit-ups:

• Step 1: To start, lie on your back and raise your legs so your thighs are perpendicular to the ground and your knees are bent to a 90-degree angle. This is known as a “tabletop” position for your lower body. Extend your arms straight up from your shoulders, toward the ceiling. 

• Step 2: Slowly lower your left arm over your head while straightening and lowering your right leg until they are almost touching the floor.

• Step 3: Bring your left arm and right leg back to the starting position.

• Step 4: Repeat the exercise with your right arm and left leg.

Bird dog

The bird dog is another core-strengthening exercise that targets your abs, glutes, lower back, and thighs: 

• Step 1: Begin in the tabletop position on all fours, with your knees under your hips and your wrists beneath your shoulders. 

• Step 2: Look down at the floor, engaging your core to keep your neck and back straight.

• Step 3: Extend your left arm forward and right leg backward, engaging your core muscles to keep your body aligned. Hold that position for a moment before relaxing back into the tabletop position.

• Step 4: Repeat the exercise with your right arm and left leg.

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Ray Bass, NASM-CPT

Ray Bass is an author, editor, and National Academy of Sports Medicine-certified personal trainer. She holds an honors degree in creative writing from the University of Pennsylvania, and she is pursuing her MFA at The New School.

Edited by:

Lauren Savage, MA

Lauren Savage, MA, is a health editor at GoodRx, where she focuses on movement, exercise, and healthy aging. She aims to provide readers with the information they need to live healthier, more active lifestyles.

Reviewed by:

Sanjai Sinha, MD

Sanjai Sinha, MD, is a board-certified physician with over 20 years of experience. He specializes in internal medicine.

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