When I do crunches or ab exercises my upper back hurts?

Incorrect form. You are doing something wrong or too many. Or you are not ready for crunches.

You might want to do a lesser ab exercise. Try leg raises instead.

It means you are doing the exercises improperly.

My first guess would be your form is off. However, there are plenty of core/ab exercises you can do that aren't sit-ups or crunches, so focus on those until you can have someone in-the-know watch your crunch form and tell you if you're doing something wrong.

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This article lists some options, and you can also do an internet search for other ab exercises other than crunches https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/10-core-exer...