This month’s challenge is the Plank Challenge!
Every day we are going to build up slowly to increase our core strength and ability to perform the plank.
You will need a timer, and possibly a mat depending on how hard your floors are, and just a few minutes at the most each day.
We won’t just be doing straightforward planks, we will also be doing some plank variations, on top of the straight forward forearm plank. You can rest in between each set of course, and a number of rest days are built in. You can also rest during the plank time if you need to – in fact – we have recently been made aware of a new school of thought that planking beyond 30 seconds at a time has no further benefit. So as the challenge goes on, if you feel more comfortable take a few seconds rest every 30 seconds.
A demo will be given each day on Facebook, as we did with the Abs challenge.
If you feel like it’s getting too hard, just do what you can, don’t give up. Stick at the last day that was manageable until it gets a bit easier. If you forget a day, get back on it the following day, it doesn’t matter that you might miss the odd day, just have fun taking part and building your strength.
Benefits of Planking
Planking is a full body workout. When you plank it causes you to engage so many muscles, from your shoulders, down to your legs. It really is a great exercise.
The main muscles that we engage when we are planking, are our core muscles. The stronger our core muscles are we improve our stability, reduce injury and maintain mobility.
If you do get injured, say a knee issue or an ankle issue, maintaining your core strength allows you to keep your level of fitness and strength up, for when you return to your regular training.
Planks can improve your posture, strengthening your back, shoulders, neck and all of your ab muscles. Planks also work your lower body too- engaging your lower back, glutes (bottom), hamstrings (back of your thighs), quads (thighs) and the muscles down the front of your shins.
Technique!
It is important to get the technique correct, to avoid causing an injury. So here are my top tips on how to perfect the plank (whichever version you are doing)!
- Your body should be in a nice straight line, no bottoms in the air, no hips to the floor.
- Engage the glute muscles (i.e. squeeze your bottom slightly) to reduce impact on the lower back.
- Body weight should be directly through your shoulders and arms, head facing slightly forward.
- Hold the position and breathe!!!
- Ask someone to correct your position or do it in front of a mirror to make sure you have good form.
- To make it slightly easier, you can widen your base with your feet – i.e placing them wider apart rather than together, or you can drop your knees to the floor, but still keep that nice straight line going through your body.
Most of all have a go, and enjoy it. Who knows what your body is capable of until you try it?!