DO CORE EXERCISES HURT YOUR NECK AND/OR BACK?

If your answer is a discouraged and frustrated “yes”, then we need to check your alignment! Understanding and practicing proper posture while sitting and standing can help us build better awareness to figure out what’s “not right” when we’re moving. This is something I demonstrate in this 60sec video.

WHY DO AB EXERCISES HURT MY NECK?

When clients experience neck tension during core workouts, I usually observe one of these two “bad” habits:

Dropping their chin to their chest.
Sticking their chin too far forward

I demonstrate what both of these look like in this video and wrote a post about proper neck alignment you can read here.

WHY DO AB EXERCISES HURT MY BACK?

When clients experience lower back tension during core workouts, it’s usually when we’re doing exercises laying on the back and extending or lifting the legs. What’s usually happening is that their pelvis is tilting anteriorly, allowing the lower back to arch.

I also demonstrate what this looks like in this video and wrote another post about proper alignment of the pelvis here.

The solution, which I also demonstrate in the video, is to lower the feet as low as you can without letting your pelvis tilt and lower back arch. Getting our feet close to the floor isn’t nearly as important as effectively working our abdominals!

Before I send you on your way, here’s one final resource to help you effectively brace and engage your core.

If these tips make a difference, send this along to a friend you think would benefit from it!