What is Planking?
If you love hitting the gym – you know what planking is – it’s when you hold the trunk part of your body off the ground, in a straight line. Planking is a type of body exercise and a very effective one at that, offering substantial results, in a quick turn-around time.It has a great impact on conditioning the core and also has several other benefits.
1. Improves Balance and Posture
Planks involve all the muscles needed for posture – your back, chest, shoulders, abs, and neck. It strengthens these muscles helping you to stand up and sit straight. It gives you a stable posture by strengthening your core, because the muscles of the abdomen directly impact and condition the other muscles responsible for posture. Likewise, side planks help improve your balance.
2. Improves your Mood
Any exercise helps you to de-stress and will improve your mood. Planks are especially good at improving your mood because they involve stretching and ultimately relaxing your muscles. You can instantly feel the release of all the built up tension and uplift in mood. You will feel happier and less stressed. Planking significantly reduces depression.
3. Increases Flexibility
Planking exercises strengthen and make your posterior muscles more flexible. It expands and stretches all the muscles within the shoulder blades, hamstrings and arches of your toes and feet.
4. Tummy Toning
Planking engages all the muscles of your abdomen, and is way more effective than crunches if you want to build those abs. It tightens, tones and makes your abdominal muscles stronger. It also effectively tones your glutes.
5. Strengthens your Back
Planking strengthens your back by making the upper back muscles stronger. It flexes and stengthens the spinal column and gets rid of any strain or muscle tension. It can also reduce lower back pain by strengthening your core, because it requires minimal movement of the muscles of the abdominal fascia.
6. Fat Burning and Better Metabolism
Though not as effective as a cardiovascular workout in terms of burning fat, planking exercises do their share. Your metabolic rate increases even after you have stopped, because muscles have already been put under stress and strengthened.
7. Better Bone and Joint Health
Planking helps muscles rebuild themselves, by putting stress on the muscles attached to the bones. Your own body acts as a weight during planking exercises which is the key to bone health.
8. Makes Everyday Tasks Easier
To be precise, planking makes your more functional. Planking is basically designed to make use of all the muscles, making them more strong and flexible, which in turn increases your mobility. You will be able to perform daily tasks without tiring easily.
How to do a Plank Correctly?
Follow these simple steps.
• With your elbows directly under your shoulders, place your wrists in line with your elbows.
• Push your body up into your upper back and hold your chin close to your neck
• Focus on tightening your abdominals, squeezing your gluteal area
• Hold position for 20-30 seconds. Rest for a minute and repeat, three to five times
Once you start planking exercises, you will notice some great health benefits and changes to your body, returning fast results for your hard work.
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