Are Crunches Bad? A Coach’s Honest Answer for Women Over 40

Ask five coaches whether crunches are bad, and you’ll get six opinions and at least one raised voice. We know, because we tried it at Complete Performance this week.

So here’s the honest answer, without the drama: crunches aren’t bad. They’re just badly overrated.

If you’re a woman over 40, you’ve probably been told to do hundreds of them, then told to never do them again, sometimes in the same year. Let’s clear it up.

Your core is more than your abs

When most people say “core,” they picture the six-pack muscle, the rectus abdominis. That’s the muscle crunches train.

But your core works more like a canister:

• The lid is your diaphragm, your main breathing muscle.
• The base is your pelvic floor.
• The walls are your deep abdominals, your obliques, and the muscles along your spine.

All of these work together to manage pressure and keep you stable while you move. The six-pack muscle is one panel on the front of the canister. Crunches train that one panel and mostly ignore the rest.

So what’s the problem with crunches?

There isn’t one, as long as you do them well and don’t do only them.

The trouble shows up in a few common situations.

1. Crunches are the whole core routine. If that’s all you do, you’re training the muscle your body uses least in real life. Your core’s main job all day isn’t to curl you forward. It’s to keep you steady while you lift, carry, twist, and catch yourself.

2. You’re pulling on your neck. Hands yanking the head forward turns an ab exercise into a neck exercise. Keep your hands light, look slightly up, and let your ribs move toward your hips.

3. You’re holding your breath and bearing down. Lots of reps while straining pushes pressure down onto the pelvic floor. If you notice leaking, heaviness, or bulging through the middle of your belly during core work, that’s your cue to change the exercise and talk to a professional.

4. You’re pregnant or postpartum. Core training is still valuable, but what’s right changes a lot with each stage. This is a conversation for your doctor and, ideally, a pelvic floor physical therapist.

Why this matters more after 40

Hormone shifts in perimenopause and menopause change how your body holds onto muscle, and that includes the muscles of your core and pelvic floor. A lot of women first notice it as:

• low back stiffness after sitting or driving
• a little leaking with a sneeze, laugh, or jump
• feeling less steady carrying groceries or climbing stairs

Those things are common, but they aren’t something you simply have

to accept. They’re often a sign that the whole canister needs training, not just the front panel.

What to do instead (or as well)

You don’t need to quit crunches. You need to add the pieces you’re missing. Here are five moves that cover the full canister:

1. Dead bug. Teaches your deep abs to keep your trunk steady while your arms and legs move.
2. Bird dog. Trains your back and core together, and it’s gentle on the spine.
3. Side plank, from the knees or the feet. Trains the obliques that keep you from tipping sideways.
4. Suitcase carry. Walk with a weight in one hand. It’s the most “real life” core exercise there is.
5. Glute bridge with a full exhale. Connects your breath, glutes, and pelvic floor.

Two or three of these, a few times a week, will do more for how you feel day to day than 100 crunches ever did.

How to do a better crunch

If you like crunches, keep them. Just make each rep count:

• Exhale as you curl up, as if you’re gently blowing out a candle.
• Keep your hands light behind your head, or cross your arms over your chest.
  • Move slowly. Think about bringing your ribs toward your hips, not your chin toward your knees.
  • Stop if you feel your belly dome up along the midline, or you feel pressure down below.
• Ten good reps beat fifty sloppy ones every time.
  

  The bottom line

  Crunches aren’t evil. They’re just a small part of a much bigger, much more useful system. Train the whole canister, breathe well, and get help when something doesn’t feel right. Your core will carry you a lot further, in every sense.

  Come do some crunches for a good cause

  On Saturday, November 7 at 8:00 AM, we’re hosting Cans and Crunches, a community workout at Complete Performance in Blaine. Every can and every crunch supports ACBC Food Shelf. All fitness levels are welcome, and every exercise is scaled, so you’ll do your crunches the right way.

  Sign-up opens next week. In the meantime, start setting aside a few cans.

  Want more on training your body through midlife? Grab Jordan’s free guides, Menopause Must-Haves, Stress-Free Fat Loss, and Metabolism 101, at THIS LINK.

  This post is for general education and isn’t medical advice. If you’re pregnant, postpartum, or dealing with pain or pelvic floor symptoms, check with your healthcare provider before starting a new exercise program.