While doing my research for my book, Sit-Ups Are Stupid & Crunches Are Crap, I was blown away at how important it is for people to get a flat stomach, and not just for looks! The New England Journal of Medicine published a study of 360,000 Europeans in November 2008 stating that people with the most belly fat have twice the risk of premature death! Other than drinking and smoking, belly size is the largest indicator or premature death. Additional studies reveal that belly size is the leading predictor of heart disease, high blood pressure, and cholesterol levels, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes. Large bellies also raise the risk of dementia by three times.
Are you doing too many sit-ups? Do you sit most of the day? I discussed core imbalance in “Balance Your Core And Reduce Back Pain.” Core imbalance is the condition of excessive compression, which results in the spine curving forward and often leads to back pain.
Core imbalance wreaks havoc on people of all shapes, sizes, and occupations. The following is a synopsis of two of my patients, who had very different lifestyles:
