Abdominal crunches are one of the most popular “ab exercises” around. It’s a movement that emphasizes upper abdominal strength. You start by lying on your back, typically with your hands behind your head and knees bent. You then lift your head and chest off the floor, “crunching” your upper body into a C-shaped curve.
Over the years, many “experts” have dismissed this exercise, claiming it’s ineffective for core strengthening. While I agree that it shouldn’t be the only core exercise you do, the crunch absolutely has its place. I work on this a lot with my private clients because it’s a functional movement that, when done correctly, helps you sit up from the floor more easily and with less risk of injury. And of course, you’ll see variations of this movement throughout Pilates, which is a key part of our practice and one of the ways we help people recover from back pain and move better.
I often hear people say they don’t like crunches because they’re uncomfortable or hurt their neck. But when you’re doing a crunch, you should feel it in your abs – NOT your neck.
Here are the biggest problems I see and how to tell if it’s a technique problem or a neck problem.
Reason #1: You’re Not Actually Using Your Abs
This sounds pretty obvious, right? But a lot of people struggle with this.
One of the most common things I see inside our Pilates 101: Get [Your] Back to Health™ program is someone who appears to be doing the movement correctly, but they only feel it in their neck instead of their abs.
What’s usually happening is they’re using their neck and chest muscles to curl their upper body instead of initiating the movement from their core.
My first cue is to gently pull the lower belly in toward the spine while drawing the front of the ribs down toward the belly button. Then, keeping that shape, use your breath – exhaling as you begin the movement – to initiate the curl from your abdominals instead of your neck.
Sometimes, though, people simply don’t have the abdominal strength yet to perform a crunch from lying flat. If that’s the case, you won’t be able to do it correctly no matter how well you follow these cues. Try placing a small pillow under the back of your head to give yourself a slight head start into the curl. As your abdominals get stronger, you can gradually remove the pillow and start from the floor.
Reason #2: Your Neck Is in the Wrong Position
When you’re doing a crunch, your neck should be slightly curled, with your chin gently toward your chest. Most people either curl their neck too much or not enough.
If your chin is touching your chest, you’re curled too much. If your chin is reaching toward the ceiling, you’re not curled enough. Either position can create unnecessary stress on your neck and eventually lead to pain.
The ideal position is to begin with a slight nod of the chin – like you’re nodding “yes” – and then keep it there throughout the movement. The curling motion should come from your trunk and abdominals, not your neck. As you curl up, keep your eyes focused on your belly and imagine there’s a tennis ball between your chin and your chest.
Your hand position matters too. If your hands are behind your head, don’t use them to pull your neck forward. Instead, gently press your head back into your hands and keep your elbows at about a 45-degree angle. Your abs should do the work – not your arms.
Reason #3: You Have an Underlying Neck Problem
At our practice, we specialize in neck and back pain. When you have an underlying neck problem, crunches may not be the best exercise until that problem has been resolved.
Let’s say you have a small bulging disc in your neck that you didn’t know about – or one you thought had healed. The curled position your neck assumes during a crunch can aggravate that problem, even if your technique is excellent.
Some clues that your neck pain may be coming from something more than poor technique include pain that shoots into your shoulder blade, numbness, or tingling that travels down your arm. These symptoms may happen during the movement or even several hours afterward.
Either way, they suggest there may be more going on than simply weak abs or poor crunch technique.
The good news is that problems like bulging discs often respond very well to the right treatment. Once the underlying issue is addressed, many people are able to get back to crunches – and all the other activities they enjoy – without neck pain.
How to Strengthen Your Core Without Making Neck Pain Worse
If you’ve always wanted to strengthen your core but struggle with crunches because of neck pain, back pain, or you’re simply not sure you’re doing them correctly, our Pilates 101: Get [Your] Back to Health™ – a full online, anytime program is a great place to start. It’s a self-paced, six-week program that teaches you the fundamentals of Pilates, including breathing, core activation, body awareness, and movement mechanics, so you can build strength safely and confidently from home and at your own pace.
Download Our Free Neck & Shoulder Pain Guide
You can also download our FREE Guide to Neck & Shoulder Pain, which explores seven proven strategies (plus a bonus tip!) to help ease neck and shoulder pain naturally – without pain medication, injections, or surgery.
Schedule a Free Discovery Visit
And if you’d rather speak with one of our specialists, schedule a FREE Discovery Visit.
It’s a no-obligation opportunity to talk with one of our experts, get your questions answered, and find out if we’re the right fit to help you get back to doing the things you love.
