Cara Kempf is a certified personal trainer with the Fitness Zone in Carmel and a group fitness instructor with NIFS in downtown Indianapolis. She can be contacted at fitnessblog@theindychannel.com.

The following is a question from a reader, followed by an answer from Cara.

"I enjoy your insights on fitness. Can you recommend an effective lower ab exercise that will not stress the lumbar or cervical areas of the spine? I lift weights three to four times a week, usually 45 minutes at a time. I also try to get in approximately 350 to 400 ab crunches daily, but my lower back seems to be chronically sore. Full-fledged sit-ups are difficult because my spine was fused between C-4 and C-5 two years ago. I'm 43 and in pretty good shape; my upper abs have responded well to the crunches, but I can't seem to rid myself of the small "pooch" around my waist. I try to take my time with the crunches, but it doesn't seem to help. I'm 6 feet 1 inch tall and weigh 197 pounds."

–Ernie, Plainfield

Hi Ernie, it sounds like you are in pretty good shape! Crunches are great for working the abs, but there are so many more options and in your case you may need to focus on the more internal abdominal muscles. Often focus is not given to the deeper and intermediate layers of the abdomen due to shallow breathing, poor body mechanics, spinal compression, or improper muscle recruitment habits. All of these things are important for developing strong core muscles, especially when you have lower back pain. I agree that full-fledged sit-ups are out for you -- they place the most pressure on the lower spine.

In my opinion, you would most benefit from Pilates because the focus lies within the things stated above. Also, you must strengthen your lower abs in order to experience less pain in your back. In actuality, the abs are all connected, and the terms "lower" and "upper" do not have any real meaning.

However, there are different muscles in the abdominals that need to be focused on, such as the pelvic floor muscles. I know that Pilates classes are difficult to find in your area, so if you cannot locate a good class, try the videos and see if they work for you (I suggest buying an intermediate or advanced tape and work up to being able to do it). If those options do not work, take a drive up to Carmel and I'll give you a free session!

One more thing ... the "pooch" is the absolute hardest area to get rid of for men and women. Lots of times, diet and cardio are the deciding factors in ridding yourself of the problem. Both are essential if you really want to define those muscles!

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