5 Reasons You Should Plank Every Day
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Increase Your CORE Strength & Endurance
When we are talking core we are talking everything that is connected in and around our spine. Pretty much any muscle that falls anywhere between your shoulders and your hips will be engaged when doing a plank properly. All of these muscles are the ones that help you move. That’s right, planks can help you move better. A core that has endurance and strength is vital injury prevention. If you don’t know how to plank, watch the video below. On second thought, watch the video anyways, you might learn something new!
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Earn those 6-PACK ABS
Ok, not completely. But everyone wants to tone up right? Doing planks can aid in making your abs start to pop. Plus they don’t cause wear-n-tear on your lower back like sit-ups. Plus it enforces good posture. But more on that later. Trust me, all the sit-ups in the world won’t get your abs to show. Add a ton of planks to a well balanced diet and you’ll be on the path to having a more defined midsection. And everyone always could use a little extra confidence taking their shirt off at the beach this season.
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Most Economical Exercise
Shut off the TV! No more infomercials of electric ab stimulators or an ab swing. Those are gimmicks to suck away your money. Save your money and plank. Body weight movements are some of the most economical exercises you can find. Running requires shoes (well as long as you’re not crazy). Planks require a zero dollar investment. All you need is a little time every day. If you want to leave the TV on that’s cool, but fix your posture and hit a couple 0:30 second long planks throughout a show. What else are you doing besides slouching on the couch?
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EASY for ALL to DO
Most exercise routines can be very difficult for beginners, however anyone and everyone can do planks. No matter your experience level you can modify the plank position and still activate all of your core musculature. Then when the modified version gets easy you can progress to full planks. Planks are easy to learn, watch the video below. Plus the more you do them, the more time you’ll be adding to your life!
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Improve your POSTURE
We’ve all been told at some point to sit up straight. It turns out planks help with that. A lot. Granted everyone has a different body type, but using your own body weight as your resistance is one of the most ideal ways to train yourself. Think about it, what better way to get your body to understand itself then making it hold it self in a perfectly planked position. You’re training all those muscles that help us stay upright so a plank is a exercise that is very individual. Doing planks regularly can train your body to have a more healthy posture that fits your body type.
If you’ve never done Planks before start small and form a good habit. Start with 0:15 seconds, just 0:15 seconds once per day in the Front Plank. Each week increase by 0:05-0:10 seconds. If that’s all you did you’d be well on your way to holding a Front Plank for over 2 mins in no time! Feel free to throw in some Side Planks as well, they won’t hurt you!
Geoff