--- title: Sit-Ups: Fitness Experts Are Turning Against Sit-Ups description: Fitness experts are now advising against doing too many sit-ups for risk of back injury. canonical: https://time.com/4158620/sit-ups-fitness-exercise-workout-abs-core/ author: Tessa Berenson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-12-22T15:41:57.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-05T08:40:30.678Z article:section: Health og:title: Why Fitness Experts Have Turned Against Sit-Ups og:description: Do you still do them? og:url: https://time.com/4158620/sit-ups-fitness-exercise-workout-abs-core/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6497a050c23a6382/6987788e0b72e3cd066dcfd4/health-weight-scale-3.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: TIME.com stock photos Weight Loss Health Exercise Scale og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Why Fitness Experts Have Turned Against Sit-Ups twitter:description: Do you still do them? twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6497a050c23a6382/6987788e0b72e3cd066dcfd4/health-weight-scale-3.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Why Fitness Experts Have Turned Against Sit-Ups > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=0d34eb9c-3633-4541-9233-7aef960881f0&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=0d34eb9c-3633-4541-9233-7aef960881f0&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=0d34eb9c-3633-4541-9233-7aef960881f0&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=0d34eb9c-3633-4541-9233-7aef960881f0&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Skip The Situps, Save Your Back [Watch (HLS stream): Skip The Situps, Save Your Back](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/0bwa8D4f.m3u8) (0:34)  _Published 2015-12-22. Doctors have long argued that situps are bad for your back. But that doesn't mean you should cut out ab exercises altogether._  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Dec 22, 2015 3:41 PM UTC Doctors have long argued that situps are bad for your back. But that doesn't mean you should cut out ab exercises altogether.  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Dec 22, 2015 3:41 PM UTC Fitness experts are now advising against doing too many sit-ups for [risk of back injury.](http://www.wsj.com/articles/why-you-can-stop-doing-sit-ups-1450722637) According to the Wall Street _Journal_, Stuart McGill, a professor of spine biomechanics at the University of Waterloo, says sit-ups put hundreds of pounds of compressive force on the spine. This pressure combined with the repeated flexing motion of a sit-up can squeeze spinal discs and possibly lead to herniation. Others are catching on. The _Journal_ reports that an editorial in a paper covering the U.S. Navy has called for taking sit-ups out of annual fitness tests, and the Canadian Armed Forces has already done away with them. The creator of the P90X workout also says he no longer does sit-ups. What to do instead of sit-ups? Experts recommend the plank pose, which works out core muscles but puts less harmful pressure on the lower back. ## Transcript Once the epitome of fitness, the sit- up's reign might be coming to an end. Doctors have long argued the exercise is too risky for one's back. One professor of spine biomechanics told the Wall Street Journal, sit- ups can place hundreds of pounds of compressive force on the spine. And now sit- ups might even be dropped in settings especially known for toughness. A recent editorial published in Navy Times advocates for the exercise being removed from a physical test sailors have to pass twice a year. Canada's armed forces has already cut it from its fitness tests contending that sit ups don't relate much to the conditioning required to get soldiers ready for the battlefield. Many experts say a better alternative to sit ups are plank exercises ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4158620/sit-ups-fitness-exercise-workout-abs-core/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4158620/sit-ups-fitness-exercise-workout-abs-core/"},"headline":"Why Fitness Experts Have Turned Against Sit-Ups","datePublished":"2015-12-22T15:41:57.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-05T08:40:30.678Z","description":"They put too much pressure on your lower back.","url":"https://time.com/4158620/sit-ups-fitness-exercise-workout-abs-core/","keywords":["Exercise","fitness","health"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6497a050c23a6382/6987788e0b72e3cd066dcfd4/health-weight-scale-3.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Tessa Berenson","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6497a050c23a6382/6987788e0b72e3cd066dcfd4/health-weight-scale-3.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"TIME.com stock photos Weight Loss Health Exercise Scale","caption":"TIME.com stock photos Weight Loss Health Exercise Scale","creditText":"Elizabeth Renstrom for TIME","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/exercise/","name":"Exercise"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4158620/sit-ups-fitness-exercise-workout-abs-core/","name":"Why Fitness Experts Have Turned Against Sit-Ups"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Skip The Situps, Save Your Back","description":"Doctors have long argued that situps are bad for your back. But that doesn't mean you should cut out ab exercises altogether.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/0bwa8D4f/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-12-22T16:17:21.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/0bwa8D4f.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4158620/sit-ups-fitness-exercise-workout-abs-core/","duration":"PT34S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4158620/sit-ups-fitness-exercise-workout-abs-core/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```