Strong abs help support your lumbar spine aka your lower back , which improves your back stability and pelvic movement.
Doing a few planks properly will give you better results than lots of sloppy ones. There are lots of variations of the classic plank that can make things more exciting and target different muscles. Here are three to try:. The side plank will isolate and challenge your obliques even further. This will demand an extra kick from your core as well as your upper and lower body including your delts , glutes, quads, hams , and calves.
This one will really define your obliques as well as further challenge all the muscles in the classic pose. Planks are a powerful exercise that will boost core strength and work a range of other muscles including the shoulder stabilizers and glutes. Doing them regularly may reduce your risk of injury and even reduce back pain. Getting bored of the traditional plank position?
Developing your posture can improve on a number of ailments, and prevent the onset of other ones. Having strong core muscles naturally improves your posture, since these muscles are what help your body hold its own weight and carry itself with proper balance.
Planks target almost all the areas that are responsible for good posture, effectively improving it. The improved posture alone helps to align the vertebrae , which takes off unnecessary stress in the spinal region. This also helps to arrange the ligaments in the back properly, which further prevents painful back conditions. Planks help you build up the muscles in your abdomen, which allows further support of your posture.
Strong abdominals take a lot of this stress off your back this is part of the reason that waist-straps are so helpful when carrying heavy backpacks! Having strong abs and sitting or standing up straight prevents several unpleasant things from happening.
Planks strengthen a lot of muscle groups, as well as the skeletal system, in ways that allow your body to better compose itself. The body uses its core muscles to help maintain balance. Many people think that their extremities are responsible for their balance, and they are, in part — but the majority of your stabilization comes from your core. Having a strong core helps you avoid injuries that could be caused to single muscle groups that might be over exerted by trying to maintain balance during aggressive exercise.
For example, snowboarding relies heavily on the calves for balance, and having a strong core can reduce some of this strain. Strengthening your core also teaches you how your body and muscles work together, and can help improve your ability to work as a single unit instead of trying to control a bunch of different muscle groups simultaneously.
Performing endurance feats like planking also carry with them a very trying mental aspect. Many people say that half of a workout is in your mind, and the plank is great proof of this — many people can hold a plank for much longer than they believe that they can, but they give up too soon. Doing regular plank training, and continuing to motivate yourself to hold a full plank, can have incredible benefits for your focus and concentration. They work a set of core muscles that are responsible for the way your body carries itself — meaning that doing planking enhances your ability to support your own weight.
Doing so improves your ability to move,a nd you will find yourself more nimble, agile, and coordinated if you do planking on the regular. Unlike some exercises that simply improve the strength of your muscles, planks offer a versatile range of benefits — not the least of which is improving your flexibility.
Planks make your posterior muscle groups — not just your glutes, but all of the muscle groups in the back of your body -much more flexible.
These include the muscles around your shoulders and your collarbone area, and your shoulder blades themselves. These muscle areas will grow and stretch with continued planking, which is great because these areas are often neglected during many traditional exercise routines. The plank is an important pose in many yoga routines. Yoga is a great form of exercise for people hoping to build core strength and improve flexibility, the the plank being considered a core element of many yoga training routines indicates just how beneficial it can be not just for your core, but for your flexibility as well.
Your hands are placed comfortably on the ground, either with your palms on the ground or fists clasped together. Your feet are hip-width apart. You should be balancing on the balls of your feet. Your tailbone should be tucked so that it's aligned with your spine, not sticking into the air. Your body is in one straight line. It's important to never compromise your form. Having bad form — like allowing your lower back to sag or popping your butt into the air — can increase your risk for injuries and make the plank less effective.
While planks are always a whole-body exercise, certain types of planks can give specific muscle groups an added workout.
Modified planks can also make the exercise harder, giving you an additional challenge once you've mastered regular planks. Maintaining the same tenants of a traditional plank, rotate onto your side, extending one arm toward the ceiling and balancing on one foot. These are the muscles between your ribs. This is the same idea as a standard plank, but you're facing the ceiling rather than the floor.
For an exercise as simple to perform as the plank, it has too many benefits to not be doing. All you need is your own bodyweight and enough space to get down on all your fours at full stretch for an ideal plank workout. Planks hit all the major muscle groups of your core, including transverse, straight, and oblique abdominal muscles and the buttocks glutes.
Not will it help you shed fat from your waistline but also help you functionally perform better while performing other activities. Planks help build strength without straining your spine. In fact, according to the American Council on Exercise performing planks regularly reduces back by strengthening the muscles around it, which provide more support for your back. As a rather simple movement planks are a great way exercise for people who lead a sedentary lifestyle.
Performing them for a few minutes a day can boost your metabolism through the day and even during the night. Since planks work on all the muscles of your core it helps your ability to stand straight and maintain better posture because the muscles of your core are vital for your overall posture.
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