The plank can actually be said to be one of the best body-weight training exercises used to train the core muscles. Not only does it work most of the muscles of the body, but it also enhances posture, balance, and stamina.
Such an exercise as this one can be done literally anywhere, and it helps to explain why people have started using it despite its seeming complexity. This Plank exercise involves maintaining a position similar to a push-up for the maximum possible time.
Benefits of Plank Exercise
Plank exercise has many benefits. I am here to explain some of the points which are given belows:
Core Strength:
Planks involve muscles of the abdominals such as the Transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, and oblique muscles, which assist in strengthening the muscles of the core.
Improved Posture:
Taking these planks in a routine manner will help in correcting the posture of the body because these muscles support the spine.
Enhanced Flexibility:
The plank causes a stretch of the posterior muscle group, most especially the shoulders, the blades, and the hamstring muscle.
Boosted Metabolism:
Planks are an exercise that involves the entire body and thus gets the metabolism of the body up.
Mental Health Benefits:
Performing a plank exercise also requires mental strength, concentration, and determination, and these exercises help in eradicating stress.
Forms of the Plank Exercise
Forearm Plank:
A fundamental of plank exercises is one in which you balance your body weight on your forearms and toes.
Side Plank:
Exercises the oblique muscles; done inclined by lying on one side and lifting the hips from the ground.
Reverse Plank:
This makes the back muscles work as you have to lie facing upwards and balance your body weight on the hands and heels.
Plank with Leg Lift:
A good addition to the normal plank is raising one leg at a time while in the plank position.
Plank Jacks:
A dynamic version of the move where you hop your legs alternately apart and together while performing a plank hold.
Precautions
Avoid Strain:
There is a tendency for the lower back to strain, so please be careful not to allow the hips to sag.
Build Gradually:
If you are a novice, then one can recommend beginning with a shorter duration of holding a weight and increasing as the muscles get stronger.
Proper Footwear:
Never walk around barefoot, and be keen on wearing shoes that offer support for your feet to help with balance.
Consult a professional:
If you have any of these underlying illnesses or injuries, it is wise to speak with a fitness trainer before proceeding.
Recommendations that can assist in Reaping the Most of the Plank Exercise
Consistency:
To get the best results with the use of planks, try to incorporate them as part of your daily routine fitness regime.
Form over time:
The goal should be placed on making sure that one is performing the plank correctly, not necessarily on the duration of time.
Combine with other exercises:
It is recommended to perform the exercise together with other basic exercises, such as crunches or leg raises.
Also read: Top Exercises for a Complete Workout: Effective Routines for Home, Office and Gym
Can Planks Reduce Belly Fat?
Because of this very reason, to answer the question of whether planks can reduce belly fat, it is recommended that people with a high concentration of abdominal fat consider doing regular planks as a part of their workout.
Planks are a great core training tool; however, planking will not make you lose belly fat. When compounded with a balanced diet of foods and short, vigorous exercises, a program that involves planks can be effective in cutting down general body fats and especially belly fats.
Some of the most frequent wrong postures adopted while holding the planks are as follows:
Sagging hips:
This can impose a lot of pressure on the spine, particularly the lower part.
Lifted Hips:
As I have indicated, this makes it slightly easier to hold while at the same time diminishing the benefit of the exercise.
Looking Up:
This is how one should align his neck to prevent straining it while reading the book.
Planks can improve your posture by strengthening your back, chest, shoulders, neck, and abs. This exercise makes it easier to keep your shoulders back and your lower back in a neutral position while sitting or standing, two vital components of good posture.
