Yash displaying proper plank form
3 Ways Planks Dramatically Improve your Health
by Tony Bianchino, owner Out Run Your Fork Personal Training and Nutrition in Westfield, NJ
So you want to improve your health, huh?
Well, when it comes to increasing so many aspects of your health with minimal effort, nothing beats the humble plank.
Plank, Defined:
A plank (also called a front hold, hover, or abdominal bridge) is an isometric core strength exercise that involves maintaining a position similar to a push-up for the maximum possible time.
Planks became immortalized in popular culture with the rise of “The Planking Game” from mid 2011 to 2012. During this time people competed against each other by planking or even simply lying face-down in the most unusual places possible. Photos were taken and then shared on social media.
From this explosion of popularity many exercise programs began to incorporate the humble plank as a staple ab strengthening tool. It also became a favorite tool for personal trainers to use to get their clients stronger while decreasing the risk of injury.
Why Planks?
The simple exercise recruits the use of muscles of your neck, shoulders, upper arms, ribcage, abdominals, hips thighs and calves in a coordinated effort to keep your body in the vertical position hovering just above the floor.
With so many muscles involved, the plank has been recognized as the go-to exercise for this personal trainer and nutritionist in Westfield, NJ.
What Makes Planks So Great?
Now that we know a little more about planks let’s go into the three ways that planks can dramatically improve your health.
- Planks lower the risk of spinal stenosis, a harmful and irreversible condition that reduces the space your spinal cord has to move around in your spinal canal.
Exercises such as sit-ups, crunches and twisting movements for your abs force you to flex, extend, bend or twist your spine. Your spine is made up of bone segments which are separated by little cushions call discs.
As with any moving part, over time your discs and vertebrate experience normal wear and tear. In fact, the more something moves, the more likely it will break down faster.
Hence, the more you bend, twist, flex and extend your torso (think crunches, sit-ups, trunk twists and side bends), the more your vertebral discs will wear and the more risk you have of developing arthritis and spinal stenosis. Both of these conditions are degenerative and irreversible and could lead to discomfort, pain, loss of motor function, paralysis and even death.
2. Planks may help protect you from neck and back injuries by strengthening your core
When your ab muscles are weak, your back muscles have to do more work to hold you upright and maintain proper posture. This can strain the back muscles or results in someone’s back “going out” in which the spine becomes so destabilized causing misalignment and pain.
3. Planks help improve body posture thereby improving respiration, circulation, and reducing headaches
Proper posture maintains healthy spinal alignment and proper spinal alignment.
Unfortunately, many of us are losing the battle to maintain proper posture. Sitting in front of a computer or using electronics such as smartphones and tablets are causing us to slump in unnatural positions.
Not only are our spines put in compromising positions, but over time, our bodies get used to this positioning.
• Chronic poor posture can lead to chronic headaches as well as pain all the way down the kinetic chain hip pain, knee pain and back pain
• It affects overall strength, balance, respiration and can cause nerve impingement
For more on maintaining proper posture, read this article here
How To Do Planks Properly
The most common plank is the forearm plank which is held in a push-up-like position, with the body’s weight borne on forearms, elbows, and toes. Many variations exist such as the side plank and the reverse plank. The plank is commonly practiced in Pilates and yoga, and by those training for boxing and other sports.
The “extended plank” adds substantial difficulty to the standard plank exercise. To perform the extended plank, a person begins in the push-up position and then extends the arms or hands as far forward as possible
Where To Get More Help
If you need help strengthening your ab muscles or to simply increase your overall strength, but don’t know where to start, then see how we can help.
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Yours in Health,
Tony BIanchino
Out Run Your Fork Personal Training and Nutrition
web: www.outrunyourfork.com
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Tony Bianchino, owner, Out Run Your Fork Personal Training and Nutrition near me in Westfield, NJ
Out Run Your Fork 