Should you hold your head when doing sit-ups?

For girls, the simplest exercise is sit-ups, which mainly strengthen the abdominal muscles, while also protecting the back and improving body posture. But even after taking many exams, everyone may still not be clear about the standard posture for sit-ups, especially whether to hold the head or not. So let’s take a look at how to do sit-ups today.

The correct way to do sit-ups is as follows: Lie on your back on the mat, bend your knees to about 90 degrees, and place your feet flat on the ground. Do not fix your feet on flat ground (for example, have a companion hold your ankles with their hands), otherwise the thigh and hip flexor muscles will join in the work, reducing the workload of the abdominal muscles. Furthermore, straight-leg sit-ups will increase the burden on the back and easily cause damage to it. The position of your hands should be determined based on the strength of your abdominal muscles, as the closer your hands are to your head, the more strenuous it will be to do sit-ups. Beginners can place their hands on both sides of the body. Once they have adapted or their physical fitness has improved, they can cross their hands in front of their chest. Finally, you can also try crossing your arms behind your head, but each hand should be placed on the shoulder on the opposite side of your body. Never cross your fingers and place them behind your head to avoid straining your neck muscles when exerting force. This will also reduce the workload of your abdominal muscles.

It is better to use a slower speed when performing it, just like slow motion playback. As your abdominal muscles pull your body upward, you should exhale, ensuring that all the muscles deeper in the abdomen are working at the same time.

Beginners should avoid doing too many sit-ups at one time. At first, you can try 5 times, and then add one more time each time you practice, until you reach about 15 times. At this time, you can try to do one more set, until you reach 3 sets.

After learning the standard posture of sit-ups, you can do it in the dormitory or at home. In fact, you don’t need others to help you stretch your legs, you can do it by yourself. But you must be careful not to do too much at the beginning, otherwise your belly will definitely hurt the next day. You should gradually increase the amount.