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Sit ups are most probably the most common and popular abdominal exercise, even though they have fallen out of favor in some fitness groups now.

Abdominal muscles can be strengthened when sit ups are done with ultimate care and technique. What is sought in a perfect sit up is bringing your torso upwards to your knees from a start of lying down position and using only the abdominal muscles. A mistake a lot of people tend to make is to end up using other muscles to the abdominal muscles when doing the sit ups. Oftentimes, these additional muscles are more powerful, thus reducing the impact and benefits sit ups can give to the abdominal muscles. Sit ups can be done with maximum gain by just using slow, methodical movements.

Bending the knees while doing sit ups help neutralize the hip flexors of the body, making the muscles in the abdomen work more. Even so, the abdominal group often tends to be involved in the initial phase of the workout, after which the hip flexors will take over. Doing sit ups with momentum, bent knees or not, does not work the muscles in the abdomen. That is why slowly raising halfway is the one that works best.

Sit ups can be dangerous to the back of the body, particularly on the lower back when using the straight leg variety which arches the back and create strains and over extensions. Twisting at the top of a sit up is not only useless, it will also place huge stress on the lower back that may often lead to injury. So, do not interlace fingers behind your head as this will give strain to your neck. Just place your hands at either side of your head. And when doing sit ups, never through back pains. Stop immediately if you feel even a little twinge.

So here’s how you do it:

Lie on the floor flat on your back with your legs bent so that your knees are formed to 90 degrees.

Feet should be flat on the floor near buttocks or up on a chair or bench.

Hands should be on the thighs.

Inhale on the way upward.

Commence curl with the shoulders then with the upper back side.

Bring hands to the top of your knees. Pause for a moment.

Lower the torso to the ground slowly.

Exhale when going down.

Relax while keeping abdomen and shoulders tight.

Repeat sit ups.

Here’s a guide from womens health about getting good technique.