They’re targeting different things,” says Scott. “Leg raises target core muscles like the pelvic floor and transverse abdominis, whereas sit-ups hit the rectus abdominis – the six-pack muscles.
“Both exercises are fit for purpose. For example, you need to be able to perform a sit-up if you want to be able to get out of bed in the morning so I don’t think it’s a bad exercise to be able to do!
“But I don’t tend to throw too many sit-ups into people’s programmes, purely because our rectus abdominis muscles are actually quite strong when flexed – they come into play when we’re sitting or in a slouching position.
“So, if I had to pick between sit-ups and leg raises, I would go for leg raises because they offer something we rarely do in everyday life and will help prevent back injuries.