So you’re determined to get those rock-hard, washboard, Jessica Alba abs. And you even stepped up the intensity of your workout by increasing those crunches and sit-ups to ensure that your stomach is flat in no time.

Well, its time to stop that.
Right now.

Turns out, crunches are not good for you.

I know you’ve spent your whole life thinking those painful and annoying little exercises were getting you one step closer to a Britney body (circa 2001), but, sadly, the main thing that crunches do is crunch your spine. And yes that really is as bad as it sounds. According to and article in the New York Times, the way to visualize this concept is to “think of the spine as a fishing rod supported by muscular guy wires. If all of the wires are tensed equally, the rod stays straight.” However, focusing only on the deep abdominal muscles can cause the spine to buckle. To avoid this, it is important to strengthen the entire core. Read More »

Now, I’m usually pretty skeptical about any news I see on the Daily Mail. It’s kind of like the internet’s version of the NY Post. The articles have some basis, usually, but they’re stretched like that last little bit of ice cream in a mostly empty pint container. Still, when I saw an article that told me that something that’s been a problem of mine for years is all in my head, I was not pleased.

I’ve had back pain since a little into puberty. Friends and relatives know that one of the biggest (pun intended) issues I have is the size of my breasts. They’re huge – and I do not mean DD huge, I mean F. Yes, there is actually an F, and that is what I am. Mind you, I’ll be getting a reduction at some point this year. But needless to say, I have back problems. My mother has back problems too, and so did my dad. It runs in the family, and it sucks, but it’s something we have to all deal with. And when I say we, I mean everyone; at least 80% of people have back problems.

But according to a recent study, only 15% of the people who complain of back pain are actually in pain. They seem to somehow come to the conclusion that the brain tricks the body into thinking it’s in pain, when it really isn’t. Read More »