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Having strong abdominal muscles not only looks good, it's a hallmark for good health. But if you want to get six-pack abs, your daily 100-crunch routine may not only hinder your progress, it could hurt your lower back by putting stress on its weakest part.

We're always told to bend at the waist and lift with the legs when picking up something heavy to prevent a back injury. Well, a crunch is the same kind of motion, only you're lying down instead of standing up. Repeatedly bending over during crunch sessions slowly breaks down spinal disks, creating a disk bulge or herniation, which can cause back pain, weakness and tingling. "There are only so many bends or a 'fatigue life,' in your spinal disks," Stuart M. McGill, a professor of spine biomechanics at the University of Waterloo, told Newsweek. "When people are doing curl up over gym balls and sit-ups, and this kind of thing, they are replicating a very potent injury mechanism on their back," says McGill. "Every time they bend it they are one repetition closer to damaging the disk."

Poor posture can drag down your energy, emotions and self esteem. Yoga expert Stacy McCarthy provides simple instructions in this video for relieving pain, removing strain and boosting your confidence.

For yoga tips, innovative training videos and cooking demos from a welllness chef, visit SportsHealthExercise.org.

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