Plank pose is one of the most beneficial core exercises you can do for your body. It’s simple, efficient and requires no equipment. One minute in the plank and you’ve worked your CORE for the day.
How To Do Planks
Bathtime, if you have young children. Another great time is right before dinner. Get everybody down on the carpet and see who can hold it the longest. One commercial is all it would take! There is tons of ways to modify the plank to make it easier or harder. I think the most important part of the pose is to MAKE SURE YOUR TUMMY IS SUCKED IN. Inappropriate position can lead to low back pain. For me, it’s also helpful to have the stopwatch in my hand so you can watch the time and breath! Breathing deeply in through the nose and out through the nose. This type of intense concentration can really improve your ability to focus on long runs and rides. It’s a mental challenge as well as a physical one. One in which I’d prefer to do over the Push-Up Challenge.
Variations for the plank:
Side Plank: Check out this link! It’s amazing. Show’s all the body stripped down to muscles and shows each and every muscle being worked.
- Full Plank
- One leg lifted Plank
- Reverse Plank
- Plank on the Stability Ball
- Plank with one leg bent underneath your body
- One arm Plank
The plank is one massively effective arm/whole body core work which should be done by all of you! An alternative when teaching young children is to get them in plank pose and give them a ball. Objective is to pass the ball between their hands to the other players hands. Two points if it goes straight through! Kids love the challenge. So how long can you HOLD it? Personally, I’m working on 1 minute.