What are the benefits of doing plank exercise?
Apart from strengthening muscles of pretty much the whole body, the plank exercise helps to improve posture and prevents osteochondrosis and spine curvature disorders.
This exercise is especially good to reduce cellulite: after holding plank for 10 seconds, you will feel all cellulite areas tensing: stomach, hips, buttock, arms. Static plank helps engage your deep inner core muscles, improves blood flow, boosts metabolism, and helps burn fat faster.
How to execute a proper plank?
When holding plank pay attention to the following:
- Your body should form a perfectly straight line. Try not to arch your lower back and pike your hips to avoid spine stress. Keep your abs tight to keep your back straight;
- put your legs as close as possible to each other to better engage lower body muscles;
- your head should be lowered, and look at the space between your hands;
- your arms should form a 90 degree angle with the floor; at the end of the exercise, lower down to the floor smoothly without dropping going down to your knees first.
How long should you hold plank?
Start from 1 set of 15-20 seconds or from an easy plank modification (from your the knees, and not from your toes). When you can hold plank for a minute non-stop, try its advanced modifications with alternating leg lift, alternating arm raises, side plank, elbow plank, etc.
Very soon your muscles will get stronger and stronger and you will be able to increase you plank hold time and complete full plank workouts – and there are over 20 of them!
Join BodyArt fitness and we will teach you all types and proper form of this great exercise!
