A plank is a body weight exercise that is great to target your core (the group of muscles that unite your upper and lower body together).
A strong core will improve your ability to perform in other forms of exercise as well as in everyday movement. Your core is your foundation and aids other muscles. For example, your abdominal muscles support your back, which all increase the effectiveness of your limb muscles.
The various plank exercises are amazing in that you’re not only targeting your core muscles but also your shoulders, biceps, quadriceps, hip flexors, obliques and glutes, among other muscles.
A plank is a very simple exercise that does not require any equipment and can be performed anywhere! Incorporating a couple of minutes a day of plank will bring great health benefits, and would be a great way to begin your journey into fitness.
Common Mistakes
Avoid these errors to get the most out of this exercise and to avoid strain or injury.
Arching Your Back – If you arch your back you are not engaging your abdominals sufficiently and you are putting more of the weight onto your arms. Check to be sure you are keeping your shoulders down and wide.
Sagging Hips – Your hips will start sinking once your abs have reached their fatigue limit. That’s a sign it’s time to end your plank. If it seems your hips are sagging from the beginning, try separating your feet a bit wider and focus on engaging your abs.
Tilting Head Up – Your neck should be in line with your body, not tilted up, which could strain the neck. Keep your gaze down at the floor.
How to do a proper plank:
One of my favorite plank workouts that I do when I’m traveling or when I don’t have a lot of free time to exercise:
