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Planking your way into fitness might be one of the best ways to do it. Plank exercise isn't as popular as crunches but it is actually one of the best exercises to sculpt your core muscles and get into the workout mode. Plank exercise strengthens your abdominal muscles and core but not just that. It also improves your balance, and makes your butt and lower back stronger. The best part is that a plank can be done anywhere. But there are many doubts that people have regarding plank benefits, variations and how long one should hold a plank which is what we try to answer here. Read on to know more.
How Long Should A Beginner Hold A Plank?
If you are a beginner or someone who is new to planking then start by holding the plank position for 10-15 seconds and then getting back to the starting position. Then gradually go on increasing the time span. Aspire to reach a 1 minutes target for a plank exercise when you are getting started.
Variations Of Plank Exercise To Try
A regular plank workout even though it works wonders can be boring which is why adding some variation to the regular plank exercise can make it interesting. Let's learn about some plank exercise variations that you can try out.
Many believe that a side plank is one of the best and most effective exercises for your shoulders and knees. For a side plank you need to lie down on one side of the body and keep your elbow directly underneath your shoulder. Keep your knees firmly on the ground and raise your hips off the ground. Then put your hand on your hip and clutch your glutes and hold for 15-30 seconds.
Reverse plank is a full body exercise that targets various muscle groups at once. These include the abs, glutes, hamstrings, shoulders and triceps. For a reverse plank you need to sit on the floor with your legs stretched in front of you. Put your hands and you on the floor and now engage your core, glutes and arms to lift your hips and keep your body in a straight line. Make sure the shoulders are away from the ears and hold the position for 30-45 seconds and repeat.
This one is not as popular as other variations of the plank exercise but Plank jacks is an exercise that benefits your core by engaging it. As the name suggests, plank jacks are a variation of plank where you have to add a jump to the regular plank exercise. For a Plank Jack start by getting into the forearm plank position and then jump by keeping both your feet towards the outside and hip distance apart. Now join them back together and get back into the brand position. Do three sets of this exercise and make each one 60 seconds long.
What Are The Benefits Of Doing Planks Everyday?
There are not one but many benefits of indulging and plank exercise everyday. From initiating weight loss to engaging your core and strengthening it, increasing flexibility and balance to correcting your posture and strengthening your back there are countless benefits of doing planks everyday. Let's learn more about them.
- Plank exercises improve metabolic activity and help in building abdominal muscles.
- Plank workout helps in correcting the posture and reducing backache by aligning the vertebrae.
- It also helps in increasing flexibility and balance by stretching the core muscles and helps the muscles coordinate better.
- A plank workout is one of the best workouts for or weight loss as it burns calories, engages your core and works your abdominal muscles.
- Plank exercises also promote better bone health and blood circulation in the joints helping them function smoothly.
- A plank workout is an instant mood booster as it targets many groups of muscles including the ones that are responsible for training people which helps in reducing anxiety and worry.
If you are now willing to try some of these interesting plank workouts a shot and ditch the normal boring plank then do it with FITPASS- India's largest network of gyms and fitness studios that offers you the freedom to workout wherever and whenever you want. You can choose from 1,50,000+ workout sessions and 5,500+ gyms and fitness studios across the country.