Why it's bad to always suck your stomach in
Lancaster (UK) (The Conversation): Our abdominal muscles are among the hardest-working muscles in the body. They are involved in nearly every move we make, keeping the body stable and balanced, protecting our spine and even ensuring our internal organs stay where they're supposed to.
But certain health conditions and even unnecessarily tensing the muscles during your daily life can cause the abdominal muscles to become imbalanced.
Over time, this can lead to a condition called "hourglass syndrome" a detrimental change in the structure of the abdominal wall, which may cause a visible crease to form in the mid-abdomen.
Not only that, but this change can also have a knock-on effect on the internal organs and other parts of the body if left untreated.
There are four main causes of hourglass syndrome. All of them result in an imbalance in the function of the abdominal muscles.
The first is due to certain congenital conditions (such as gastroschisis or omphacele) which cause the abdominal muscles to develop incorrectly, leading to muscle imbalances.
Poor posture is another cause. This leads the spine to move away from its normal, s-shaped curvature, resulting in detrimental changes in the tension and function of the abdominal muscles, leading to imbalances.
Pain in the abdomen (whether from stomach, liver or gallbladder problems) can also cause a person of voluntarily or involuntarily contract their abdominal muscles in order to reduce or avoid pain.
But another surprising cause of hourglass syndrome may be body image issues, which are an increasing issue. People who may feel insecure in their body or who want a flat stomach may suck their stomach muscles to achieve this look.
Muscle imbalance
When we suck our stomach in it causes our rectus abdominis (commonly referred to as our "six-pack" muscles) to contract. But since we tend to store more fat tissue in our lower abdomen, the muscles at the top of the stomach tend to be more active.
This creates a fold or crease in the abdomen over a long period, with the belly button being pulled upwards.
Regardless of the cause whether voluntary or involuntary sucking the stomach in places greater pressure on the lower back and neck. This is because they now have to compensate for changes in core stability.
The compression of the abdomen also reduces the amount of space available for the abdominal organs to reside. If you consider the abdomen like a tube of toothpaste, squeezing it in the middle creates pressure at the top and bottom.
The pressure at the top affects breathing by making the diaphragm (the major muscle involved in drawing air in) unable to pull down as far.
The pressure at the bottom places greater force on the pelvic floor muscles as the abdominal cavity reduces in volume when the abdomen is sucked in. Alongside this, there are increased forces placed on the joints of the spine and pelvis because the abdominal muscles are less able to absorb impact when tensed.
Although there's limited research looking at the effect of hourglass syndrome itself on breathing capacity, research on abdominal strapping (where the whole abdomen or only part of it is strapped to aid recovery from a muscle injury or after surgery), shows a 34 per cent decrease in the amount of air that's exhaled and a 27 per cent - 40 per cent reduction in total lung capacity.
It's uncertain if this leads to long-term changes in breathing capacity. But in the short term, this may it harder to exercise and you may also feel fatigued earlier due to reduced oxygen coming into the bloodstream.
Sucking in the abdomen can place strain on the pelvic floor, which will affect the function of the bladder, uterus and rectum, potentially causing urine or faecal matter to leak, as well as uterine prolapse. For people who already have issues with pelvic floor dysfunction (such as urinary or faecal incontinence), sucking in the stomach may worsen them.
Fortunately, hourglass syndrome is reversible. Treating the muscular imbalance through exercises that strengthen all of the core muscles will help. Exercises such as planks or bridges are just a couple of examples. Similarly, activities such as yoga or pilates are also likely to be beneficial in relaxing the muscles.
Hourglass syndrome is probably something that will develop over a long period weeks of consistently sucking in the stomach. So occasionally sucking the stomach muscles in is not likely to cause problems.
There are also many ways you can avoid it. If you have unexplained or prolonged abdominal pain, it's worth seeking medical advice not only to prevent muscle imbalances but also to treat the root cause of the pain.
If you tend to suck your stomach in to improve your appearance, exercises that strengthen the muscles and back will be useful for helping maintain good posture and flatten the abdomen.
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Modi should leverage his ties with world leaders to de-escalate war in West Asia: Omar Abdullah
Jammu (PTI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said India can play a meaningful role in de-escalation in West Asia, given Prime Minister Narendra Modi's strong relations with the warring countries and their neighbours.
He said Pakistan was leveraging ties with Iran and the United States, and that any effort towards ending the war should be welcomed.
"As I said in the House (Assembly), we would like the war to end as soon as possible. The role that the prime minister can play may not be possible for anyone else because of his good relations with all these countries," Abdullah told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.
He, however, said any escalation would not be easy to manage.
"Any such move by US President Donald Trump, despite the long history of Iran resisting external domination, would not be easy," the chief minister said.
Asked about Pakistan mediating in the war, he said, "I will simply say that if any country can play a role in preventing this war, no one should have any objection to it."
He added, "I will repeat what I said … our prime minister has good and close relations with all countries — whether it is Israel, the United States, Iran, or the countries around Iran. If those relationships can be used to make some progress and help ease the situation, it would be a good thing."
Abdullah said attacks by terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed in India, as suggested by a report from the United States, are not unlikely.
Meanwhile, he asserted that any efforts to end the war, be it from Pakistan, must not be resisted.
"Pakistan is using its good relations with Iran and the United States to its advantage, and it has done so. How can we object to that? If that angle helps in stopping the war, would you want them not to act and let the war continue? We want the war to stop. If any country can play a role in that, it should. And if we can play an even better role, then we should do so," he said.
On unemployment in J-K, the chief minister said the issue cannot be resolved overnight, and government jobs alone are not the solution.
He stressed the need to explore alternative avenues, highlighting the importance of Mission Yuva in promoting entrepreneurship.
"Mission Yuva provides not just funding but also support in preparing DPRs and post-startup assistance, such as marketing. In just nine months, distributing Rs 1,000 crore and approving numerous schemes is a significant achievement," he said.
Abdullah credited the coordination between the government and Jammu and Kashmir Bank for the scheme's progress.
