What are the benefits of plank exercise

Hello everyone welcome to my website Sportsevery. In this article, we will answer the question what are the benefits of plank exercise.

Introduction

We all do different exercises to be fit and healthy. From upper body to lower body, we have a variation of exercises involved. We have a set of exercises for almost every body part. We run, we do cardio, we do isometric and isotonic exercises, etc. One such exercise is plank exercise also known as simply plank or planking.

What is Plank?

A plank is an isometric exercise because our core muscles are contracted in one position. It is similar to the pushup position but a little varied. A plank involves balancing on toes and forearms as we hold the rest of the body off the ground. The head, torso and legs are aligned and the spine is kept straight in a neutral position.

How to do a plank?

A plank may appear easy to do but doing a perfect plank is challenging. To do a proper plank, first lie facedown on the mat.
It is similar to a pushup position with the forearms pressed onto the ground.
After starting with the forearms pressed on the ground, lift your body and you have to balance your body weight on the forearms and toes. Align your elbows directly under your shoulders. Widen the shoulder blades to engage the back muscles. Engage your quadriceps and squeeze your gluteals, and push back on your heels to engage your leg muscles.
Keep your body straight from head to toe. Hold the position for up to 10 seconds. Release to floor.
At first aim for 5 to 10 seconds to hold the plank. As your body gets used to it and you are able to hold the plank for longer periods, you can increase the time accordingly.
The plank exercise works with the whole core. It includes the abdominal muscles that start from the pelvis along the spine and up to the shoulder girdle.

Muscles involved during plank exercises:

The muscles which are involved during plank exercises are as follows:
Rectus abdominis
Transverse abdominis
Obliques
Erector spinae
Shoulder stabilizers
Gluteus maximus
Quadriceps

Variations of plank:

The plank can be done with many variations and yet it is equally effective. The following are the variations that a plank can involve:
Tabletop plank
Incline plank
Plank with leg lift
Plank with arm lift
Knee plank
Plank with weight add-on
Side plank
Plank with medicinal ball
Reverse Plank and many more.

Mistakes while doing a plank:

We all make mistakes while doing exercises and if we continue to make those, we can have injury. While doing planks, we must avoid the following mistakes:
While doing planks, we must not collapse our lower back. We should not dip our butt but engage our core muscles to do a proper plank.
Do not do a plank similar to the downward dog pose. Keep your head, torso and legs aligned in a neutral and straight position.
Keep your eyes on the floor about a foot in front of the hands and do not let your head drop.
Most of the people hold their breath while doing some strenuous exercise. It is important to breathe normally to do a perfect plank and not to hold your breath.

Importance of Plank Exercise

Plank provides many physical benefits. It strengthens the core. It is an important aspect of the workout routine. It helps to stabilize as well as balance the body. It is more of a strength-building exercise with no equipment required.

Benefits of Plank Exercise

1. Strengthen Core: A plank is the best exercise to strengthen the core. It can help with balance and stability. It can help with athletic performance.
2. Reduces Belly Fat: Belly fat is reduced. Especially in women, belly fat is hard to get rid of. It is a magic exercise for removing belly fat.
3. Less Risk of Back Pain: Doing planks can help with reduced risk of chronic and lower back pain.
4. Injury Prevention: By doing planks, we can have better support and alignment for the spine and other joints. It can help to prevent injuries.
5. Improved Posture: Doing planks can help us to improve our posture.
6. Calorie Burnt: Calories are burned while doing a plank. However, it depends on your weight and how long you hold the plank.
7. Full Body Activation: Planks engage the entire body resulting in full body activation.
8. No equipment required: Plank can be done anywhere and anytime and no equipment is required.
9. Balance and Coordination: Body balance and coordination are increased by doing planks. Our core muscles are involved with balancing and hence planks help us to balance.
10. Improves Metabolism: Doing planks increases circulation and therefore results in improved metabolism.
11. Increased Flexibility: When we do a plank, abdominal muscles are involved and our flexibility is increased.
12. Mental Health Benefits: All exercises help to relieve stress and anxiety and so does plank.

Conclusion

To get the benefits, you have to do it daily and increase the intensity accordingly. So is the case with the plank. You can get all the benefits mentioned above if you include a plank in your daily routine. And planks are not only important for athletes but they are important to common people also because “Plank is a simple yet significant exercise”.