The plank exercise is a bodyweight workout that includes holding your body’s trunk in a straight line off the ground. Static exercise is quite good at building your core while simultaneously working the shoulders, arms, and glutes because it uses several muscular groups.
Regularly including planks in your exercise routine will help to strengthen your core and enhance your posture and stability. They’re a terrific complement to any training session because they require no equipment and are easy to complete. Getting into a plank position is easy, but staying in that posture for an extended amount of time is difficult.
The plank is essentially a core exercise that targets and works all the muscles in your body’s trunk, including the front and back, from your sternum to your pubic bone. Now, your core muscles are your support system; they are the basis upon which everything else is built, and having a strong core will improve:
- Stability and balance
- alignment and posture
- Reduce the possibility of injury
- Overall strength
Other muscles in your upper and lower body are also worked by the plank exercise, and depending on the version you choose, you can really strengthen particular areas.
Can Anyone Perform All types of Plank Exercises?
Well, that depends on your level of tolerance as well as your diet because some of the plank exercises are more difficult than others. Therefore, first, assess yourself by seeing whether the activities are appropriate for you since muscle or joint injuries can occur when exercises are performed incorrectly. It is best to consult a fitness professional with any concerns or questions. Always remember to eat enough protein and drink lots of water between meals.
Benefits of Plank Exercise:
The Plank Will Help You Improve Your Posture:
Your spine, rhomboids, trapezius, and abdominal muscles all get stronger when you perform the plank, and as they do, your posture will automatically improve.
Many people don’t give their posture much thought, and many aren’t even taught how to stand correctly. Fortunately, the plank will help with this even if you don’t know much about posture. Since your core muscles enable your body to support its own weight and move with perfect balance, having strong ones automatically improves your posture. Planks effectively correct posture by focusing on nearly all of its contributing factors.
It Helps Relieve Back Pain:
Although the improved posture that planks offer contributes to this effect, the significance of the plank’s capacity to reduce back discomfort merits its own section. The plank not only prevents specific types of back discomfort but also improves the overall health of the back.
Simply having a better posture aids in vertebral alignment, which relieves needless tension in the spinal region. This also aids in appropriately positioning the ligaments in the back, hence preventing uncomfortable back issues.
The Plank Is a great Core Exercise:
Your core is essential for maintaining strength in the rest of your back as well as helping to keep your spine straight. You can avoid strain injuries by maintaining your core strength.
Many people are unaware of the necessity of regular core training. Weight training is one example of a repetitive workout that neglects the core and might result in disproportionate strength and injuries in later life. Planks are a fantastic exercise for keeping your body strong
Making sure your core strength is in check is incredibly crucial for someone who wishes to lead a healthy lifestyle because the core muscle groups are somehow involved in helping us carry ourselves through practically every movement, we do every day.
Your flexibility will improve with planks:
Although it might not seem like it, planks are a terrific exercise for stretching out your lower body. The hold posture in the plank pose lengthens your hamstrings and the arches of your feet, making it a strength and stretch exercise.
Side planks with an extended arm might specifically target your sides if you want to stretch certain parts of your body.
Different Plank Exercise Variations:
Plank:
- Lie down with your back to the floor and curl your toes under.
- Put your elbows beneath your shoulders with your forearms pointed forward.
- Lift your hips and legs up till your back is straight.
- Squeeze your glutes and tummy to get those muscles working.
Side Plank:
- Lie down on your side with your legs extended and stacked on top of each other.
- Place your elbow beneath your shoulder.
- Keep your back straight and raise your hips and legs.
- Hold for the required amount of time, making sure there is no hip sagging.
Plank Hip Dips:
- begin in the traditional plank position.
- Lower your right hip to the right side.
- Return to the plank position.
- Repeat on the opposite side.
The Plank Jack:
- Start in a high plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart and your palms flat on the floor.
- With your legs extended behind you and your core and glutes engaged, your shoulders should be squarely over your wrists.
- Jump in and back out with your feet (like jumping jacks). As you leap your feet in and out, maintain your hip stability to prevent it from bouncing up and down.
- Continue for a certain amount of time.
Plank Shoulder Taps:
- Start out in a traditional plank stance.
- Arms should be straight this time, with wrists tucked beneath shoulders.
- Keep your hips facing the floor while lifting one arm and tapping the other shoulder.
- Do the same thing on the other side.
Bottom Line:
Everybody’s workout routine should include the plank because it is a great, easy exercise that everyone can learn. The plank provides a wide range of health advantages, and because it works your core muscles so intensely, these advantages can apply to your entire body. Regular plank use can positively affect your skeletal system, muscles, and even organs.
If you have a shoulder injury, you shouldn’t perform planks. Stop the workout if you start feeling pain in your shoulders. Planks are generally regarded as safe during pregnancy, though there may be some concern about the strain being placed on the abdominal wall. A side plank or an incline plank might be preferable to the standard plank. To determine whether this workout is suitable for you, consult your physician or physical therapist.
For other types of workouts check the links below:
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