- With Mayo Clinic physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist
Edward R. Laskowski, M.D.
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Edward R. Laskowski, M.D.
Edward R. Laskowski, M.D.
Dr. Edward Laskowski is certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine. He is co-director of the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center and a professor at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
He has been on the staff of Mayo Clinic since 1990 and specializes in sports medicine, fitness, strength training and stability training. He works with a multidisciplinary team of physical medicine, rehabilitation and orthopedic specialists, physical therapists and sports psychologists.
Dr. Laskowski is an elite-level skier and approaches sports medicine from the perspective of a physician and an athlete. In addition to skiing, he is an avid hiker, cyclist and climber.
In 2006, President George W. Bush appointed Dr. Laskowski to a two-year term on the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.
Dr. Laskowski was a member of the medical staff of the Olympic Polyclinic at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and was involved in medical coverage for the Chicago Marathon. He serves as a consulting physician to the National Hockey League Players' Association and is a featured lecturer at the American College of Sports Medicine's Team Physician Course.
Dr. Laskowski, a Cary, Ill., native, has contributed to Mayo Clinic's CD-ROM on sports, health and fitness, a Web site guide to self-care, and hundreds of Mayo Clinic articles and booklets in print and online. He is a contributing editor to Mayo Clinic's "Fitness for EveryBody" book.
"There are many myths and misconceptions about exercise and fitness in general, and also many traditions that don't stand up to scientific scrutiny," he says. "My goal is to provide the most up-to-date and accurate information on sports medicine and fitness topics in a way that you can practically incorporate into your life."
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Question
Sit-ups: Is it OK to stabilize my feet?
I've always done sit-ups with my feet under the edge of the sofa to stabilize my body. I've recently read that this causes the back muscles to do most of the work instead of the abs. Is this true?
Answer
from Edward R. Laskowski, M.D.
Holding or stabilizing your feet during sit-ups can be a safe and effective way to perform the exercise, as long as you're performing your sit-ups properly. In fact, stabilizing your feet can help you better isolate your abdominal muscles and help you avoid using other muscles, such as those around the hip, to perform the exercise. The more you can isolate the abdominal muscles, the more effective the sit-ups will be — and the better results you will get.
Putting your feet under the furniture isn't the only way to get this effect. Another way to isolate your abdominal muscles during sit-ups is to bend your knees and hips at a 90-degree angle while stabilizing your feet against a wall.
For best results when doing sit-ups, avoid clasping your hands behind your neck or head. Instead, fold your arms on your chest. Keep your movements smooth and controlled, letting your abdominals do the work. As you do each sit-up, visualize your entire trunk and upper body being lifted as a single unit as your abdominal muscles contract.
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