[mkat321]

Curious if my crunches are going to be effective since I can barely lift my scapulae completely away from the floor, and sometimes the clearance is less than 1/8th of an inch?

[Mel]

Do you feels your abs contracting? If so they are working. I'd also suggest flipping over and doing some planks.

There are LOTS of abs exercises beside crunches!

Mel

[mkat321]

planks. I can do that!

[northernbelle]

Yes, crunches can be effective even if you can only lift about 1/8th of an inch. As you progress, your crunch will increase. Crunches are not about a huge lift off the floor, like a sit up is.

There are many other ab exercises to do also. Mix them up to hit your abs in a variety of ways. Again, don't forget to do the opposite exercises also- your lower back. As mentioned, planks are one of the absolute best core exercises to do.