David Goldman/AP
Sit ups are not the best way to get at your core.
From celebrity trainers working in the trendiest Manhattan gyms to the National Institute for Fitness and Sport in Indianapolis and US Army training exams, sit-ups are getting a bad reputation.
Scientists have discovered that the moves, once a staple of basic workout routines, don't reduce waistline circumference or trim middle belly fat. Sit-ups are also not the best way to strengthen your core, and keep it flexible and strong for the long run.
Earlier this week, the US Army announced that after decades of two-minute sit-up requirements, they're phasing out that portion of their fitness test by the end of 2020. Instead, the Army says it'll make room for some fitness tasks that are more useful for soldiers' combat readiness, like deadlifts, power throws, and drag-and-carry moves, the Washington Times reported.
It's a change that Tony Maloney, a trainer and exercise physiologist at the National Institute for Fitness and Sport in Indianapolis, can get behind.
"I'm not a huge fan of sit-ups," Maloney told Business Insider earlier this year. "Reason being, it can cause some spinal problems, especially if they're not done properly."
Here are some other expert tips for getting a stronger, more flexible core: