5 Benefits of Doing Planks

Staying fit doesn’t always mean doing several complicated workouts. As a matter of fact, even the simplest workout can do you a world of good. Take for example the plank. In this exercise, you need to hold the trunk of your body off the floor and that you create a straight line from your shoulders to your heels.

If you’re going to look at images on how a plank is done, the first thing that will pop in your mind is how easy it is and whether it actually does something for your body. Although getting the right form is indeed easy, holding the pose requires endurance and strength from your back, abs, and core.

Most fitness experts recommend plank to condition the core while working out the hamstrings and glutes to help with your balance and posture.
So what benefits can you gain from doing a plank?
Lessens Back Pain

Back pain can be detrimental in your day to day movement. The best way to lessen the discomfort is to do planking. Like it was mentioned before, plank helps strengthen the core which in turn minimized the chances of you suffering from pain in your lower back. When you do planking your strengthening the muscles on your back especially in the upper back.





Boosts Your Mood

Planks can help give you a mood boost the same way when you do any other type of exercises. However, planks are a class of their own because they stretch and relax various muscle groups that tend to become tense and stiff when you’ve been sitting for a long time. Planks release the tension which in turn helps uplift you.
Toned Belly

Planking helps build the inner muscles in your core which paves the way to that washboard abs you’ve always wanted. As you push your core muscles whenever you do a plank the tighter your mid-section will become. However, doing planks is just one part of achieving that toned belly. You still need to shed fats so going on a diet may help.
Better Posture and Balance

You need to engage your abdominal muscles in order to execute a plank perfectly. Doing planks with extensions or side planks will test your sense of balance since planks are usually done with the aid of a stability ball. If you want to improve your balance, perform a side plank with leg raise. To do this, go in a side plank pose then raise your top leg. Hold this for 1 count before lowering the leg. Repeat the exercise before switching to the other side.
Improve Your Flexibility

Flexibility is also improved whenever you perform planks. It actually targets the muscles on your posterior. The muscles in your collarbone, shoulder blades, and shoulders will stretch and expand just like the arches of your toes and feet as well as hamstrings.

Performing these five ab exercises can help you achieve better core muscles and improved sense of balance. Repeating these exercises as often as you can will help you perform day to day activities such as sitting, bending, and lifting easily.





Sources:

http://fitness.mercola.com/