Can you still remember the planking challenge on social media? This trend just came right after the cinnamon challenge in February 2013. And participants of this challenge would lay his or her body flat on any surface just like a plank, let someone take a photo of it, and post it on Facebook, Instagram, and other popular social media sites. The catch was to do the planking to the most outrageous places as much as possible.
Since then, the act of planking has managed to become a popular exercise for most people because it builds stability and strength. And if you’re planning to plank today, then we invite you to continue reading as we are going to cite some reasons why planking exercise is effective in today’s fitness guide.
The Basic Concept Of Planking
The plank is actually one of the simplest types of exercise you can do because you only have to get into that pose. But the real challenge lies in testing your endurance as you need to hold that pose as long as possible for it to work. And that’s when planking exercise will become effective.
How is this so? Here are the reasons:
- Bodyweight Exercise – Planking is an exercise that you can perform without the use of equipment, just your own body. In other words, it’s a type of activity that you can do at the comforts of your own home no matter what time of the day. In fact, you can do this early in the morning after waking up or before going to bed.
And that’s what makes it so appealing to some people because they can do this workout without going to the gym.
- Improves Posture – Planks are essential for improving your posture. And this is very important since having a good posture prevents you from getting injured due to improper weight distribution as well as developing a good sense of self-confidence and self-assurance.
- A Cure For Back Pain – Since planking helps align the spinal cord, then it also takes off the unnecessary strain from this region of the body which causes us to experience back pains. Likewise, it also helps in aligning the ligaments and developing abdominal muscles so your back portion is well supported.
Moreover, having strong abdominal muscles prevent you from experiencing osteoarthritis, neck, and shoulder injuries – which are common types of ailment that usually manifest as you get old.
- Better Coordination – One of the best effects of planking does not come from muscle growth, but through its ability to make your muscles (or your core) be more stable.
This is essential so you can maintain your balance as you engage in more aggressive routines like running, biking, skating, or snowboarding.
- Improves Flexibility – And last but not the least, planking exercise is effective because it serves as a full-body workout to help improve flexibility. To be specific, planking targets your collarbones, shoulder bones, shoulder blades, and other muscles in your posterior area.
Aside from that, a plank is a crucial pose in Yoga, which is an exercise that promotes core strength and muscle flexibility.
Overall, different types of plank promote flexibility in different areas of the body. And when combined with Yoga, planking will be more effective in producing more pronounced results.
Hiring a personal trainer can help you a lot in achieving your fitness goals. So if you’re looking for a certified personal trainer in Alexandria, VA, you can go to this link and learn more about the pricing.
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