Can doing sit ups exercise the lumbar muscles

Doing sit ups can exercise the lumbar muscles, but it mainly targets the rectus abdominis muscle rather than the deep lumbar muscles. Sit ups mainly activate abdominal muscles by bending the spine, with limited stimulation to the deep stabilizing muscles of the waist. The core muscle group for sit ups is the rectus abdominis, and the hip flexors also participate during the movement. When the body is rolled up from a lying position, the contraction of the rectus abdominis muscle produces spinal flexion, and at this time, the lumbar muscles mainly play a stabilizing role. Under standard movements, the superficial lumbar muscles such as the erector spinae muscle will have mild contractions, but the activation level of deep stabilizing muscles such as the iliopsoas muscle is relatively low. For those who wish to enhance lumbar support, relying solely on sit ups may not achieve the desired results. If the movements are not standardized, such as using too much force or pulling the neck with the help of the arms, it may actually lead to compensatory force in the waist and increase lumbar pressure. Some people may experience lower back pain during sit ups, which is usually caused by excessive tension in the iliopsoas muscles or an imbalance in the core muscle group. Patients with lumbar disc herniation and other lumbar diseases should avoid frequent sit ups to prevent worsening of the condition.

It is recommended to combine sit ups with other waist exercises, such as plank support to activate the transverse abdominis muscle, hip bridge to strengthen the gluteus maximus and erector spinae muscles, and bird dog style to improve the coordination of the multifidus muscle. It is also important to maintain a correct sitting posture in daily life to avoid lumbar muscle strain caused by prolonged sitting. Lumbar exercise should follow the principle of gradual progress, and if there is persistent pain, timely medical evaluation should be sought.