Is it okay to do sit-ups as long as you do them on a matt?

Question

Is it okay to do sit-ups as long as you do them on a matt?

Answer 1

Yes, but its ok to do them w/o a mat as well.  The best thing to do is to use an exercise ball.

Answer 2

Yes, with a mat or without. My brother, a martial arts and fitness fanatic once did one thousand in a row.

He found the skin of his lower back was missing afterwards- the skin right round near the waistband of his longs... This was because back was moving upwards and his waistband slightly downwards for every crunch he did. So, make sure the clothes you wear fit close enough to not cause friction rub; but are just loose enough so that you can move unhindered.  

Answer 3

depends on how your back is.

I usually do medicine ball situps and kettlebell crunches. to each his own though. you can do crunches with the same affect but you are not working all the muscles you could with old-fashioned situps. if you have a bad back, go with other ab exercises(google it)

hope this helps

Answer 4

wow very awesome answer by judomofo, never heard that before but definately look into it now

Answer 5

sit ups are fine on any surface....using an exercise ball increases the output  

Answer 6

Wow above answerers... good thing this person doesn't take your word for it.

No, sit-ups on a mat, in a house, with a mouse, are all bad. They put undue pressure on your spine, and can cause lower back problems. They utilize too much of the hip flexor involvement, and aren't a true abdominal exercise.

You are better off sticking with crunches..on a ball, or on the mat. There are a ton of great ab workouts out there that will not place significant risk on your lower back, and are safe to do.

The danger isn't the surface that they are on, it is the exercise itself which risks compression on your spinal column, lower back injuries and nervous system related injuries.

Are there people who have done sit ups all their life with no problems? Yes.

But there are also people with significant back problems related to sit ups.

Trust me, do crunches, do supine bicycles, leg lifts, planks. stability ball exercises. There are tons of stuff that are much better to do for abs (better work outs, ab concentration) that are much safer.

Sit ups are antiquated, and modern medicine/science has shown them to be unhealthy, and that the alternative exercises are far more efficient, and safer.

Wikipedia actually has a decent write up of this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sit_ups

Good luck...