Want to be healthy and, above all, strong as an ox?
Are you ready to dedicate 5 to 10 short minutes of your day to fitness?
Then look no further!
In this article, you will discover the plank exercise and its 7 benefits for your body:
Bodybuilding exercises without weights are becoming more and more popular.
This form of strength training, without additional weights or weight machines, requires only the weight of your body.
Therefore, bodybuilding exercises without weights are simple and practical to regain an ideal weight and promote muscle building.
They require little time on your part and bring significant results, in relatively little time.
Did you know that the abdominals are the only muscle group in your body that is not attached to the bones?
This means that the abdominals must support the back and the spine.
They also play an important role in injury prevention.
But, for these muscles to contribute optimally, they must be strong and subjected to continuous training.
By practicing the plank exercise, you strengthen your abdominal muscles and, by extension, you provide more support to your spine.
1. Get into the plank position (as in the photo above). Your forearms and toes touch the ground.
2. Keep your torso straight and stiff. Your body should form a completely straight line from ears to toes. Do not bend or bend any part of your body.
3. Your head is relaxed, with your eyes towards the ground.
4. Hold this position for 10 sec.
5. Over time, increase the board hold time:30 sec, 45 sec, 60 sec, etc.
6. Fully engage your abdominal muscles! Your back should not be curved or arched.
Therefore, don't let your stomach drop to the floor or your hips to rise to the ceiling!
7. To keep your glutes and hips from riding up, push your pelvis toward the floor.
8. Don't forget to breathe! Breathe in and out long and evenly.
9. To vary this exercise, simply lift one leg or one arm (see the table at the end of the article for examples of variations).
Here is ! Now that you know how, here are the 7 benefits of the plank exercise.
You will feel all these benefits as soon as you start practicing this exercise every day.
The plank exercise is ideal for the abdominals because it engages all the muscles of the abdominal group:transverse muscle of the abdomen, rectus muscle of the abdomen, oblique muscles of the abdomen (internal and external) and the glutes. .
The importance of strengthening each of these stressed muscle groups cannot be underestimated. Indeed, each muscle plays an important role for your body.
If you practice the plank exercise daily, you will quickly see the following improvements:
- transverse abdominis muscle:increased ability to lift heavy loads,
- rectus abdominis muscle:improved sports performance (especially for jumping). Moreover, it is this group of muscles that gives the appearance of the abdominals in "chocolate bars",
- abdominal oblique muscles (internal and external) - increased capacity for lateral bending and twisting of the bust.
- glutes:your back is strengthened and the gluteal muscles toned.
The plank is an exercise that allows you to strengthen your muscles.
The advantage is that you develop your muscles without putting too much strain on your spine and hips.
Moreover, if you practice this exercise regularly, it reduces back pain.
In addition, by strengthening the abdominal muscles, they provide even more support for your back muscles (especially the upper back).
Although it is static, the plank exercise requires a lot of energy.
Moreover, the plank burns more calories than traditional abdominal exercises:sit-ups or partial sit-ups in a lying position.
The muscles you tone with this daily exercise guarantee that you'll burn more energy — even when you're doing a sedentary activity.
This is especially important for people who spend most of the day sitting at their desk.
If you practice this exercise at home (for 1 - 10 min) before or after work, you will increase your basal metabolism.
Plus, your metabolic rate stays elevated throughout the day — even while you sleep.
The abdominal muscles contribute greatly to the support of the neck, shoulders, torso and back.
By practicing the plank exercise, you improve and prolong your ability to stand straight.
Indeed, once your abdominal muscles are strengthened, it is much easier to maintain an upright posture.
Have you ever tried balancing on one leg?
If you haven't managed to do it for more than a few seconds, it's probably because your abdominal muscles aren't strong enough to keep you balanced.
To improve your balance, try doing the side plank and plank exercises with leg and arm lifts.
It's not only good for your balance:these exercises also improve your sports performance.
One of the most important benefits of plank exercises is the gain in flexibility.
The plank develops and stretches all the muscles at the back of your body:shoulders, shoulder blades, collarbones, etc.
At the same time, this stretches the hamstrings, arches and toes.
By practicing the side plank exercise daily, you develop the oblique muscles of the abdominals.
This dramatically increases toe hyperextension — a movement needed to support your body weight.
The plank exercise also benefits the nerves, which improves your overall mood.
Why ? These exercises stretch the muscles that are often the cause of stress and tension in the body.
Indeed, when you sit all day, the thigh muscles stiffen.
Also, the legs become heavy from being bent for long periods of time and the shoulders are tense from not standing up straight.
All of these circumstances add stress to your muscles — and your nerves.
Fortunately, plank exercises calm your mind and ease anxiety and symptoms of depression.
But beware:it only works if you practice them daily!
So, now that you know more about the benefits of plank exercises, all you have to do is try these simple exercises.
In just 5 to 10 min, you will have excellent results!
To help you out, we've even made a handy chart that shows you plank exercises that develop the abdominal muscle group:
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