Here is an info piece I received from a PE colleague regarding crunches and overall core strength:
If you are looking to strengthen your core, don't waste your time doing tons of crunches and sit-ups. Classic abdominal moves like those only work the muscles that allow you to flex or round your lower spine, however, true core exercises train the muscles that prevent your spine from flexion or rounding.
They also allow you to transfer force from your lower body to your upper body (golf swing, batting, soccer kick, slapshot, throwing, for example), and vice versa. Core exercises target the same muscles that traditional crunches and sit-ups do, but they also include the muscles in your pelvis, hip and lower-back.
A true core exercise trains you to keep your spine in a stable position while challenging your center of gravity and stabilization. Training your core is a necessity because that's where all movement in your body originates.
For Students:
What do you do to train your core in a typical week? Have you ever tried other exercises other than crunches, if so what? Research a variety of new core exercises and try and add some into your weekly activity. Write about this experience in your reflection journal
click here for core exercises
