Who Should Do?
Novice Exercisers
The plank is a great foundational piece if you are just starting your fitness journey. Many forms of physical activity depend on a functional core, and this is exactly what planks provide.
In the beginning stages, sample some bodyweight moves, to jump-start your strength.
Individuals In Sports
The benefits of the plank can have tremendous implications for athletic performance.
The agility of athletics poses a high demand for quick moments of trunk reactiveness. The foundation set by the timed stability of the plank can lay the groundwork for it.
Here’s a glimpse of the negative effects on athletic activity when this groundwork is absent.
Those Wanting To Prevent Injury
Lower back tightness is a common area of dysfunction and discomfort for many people and can produce injury.
Typically the lower abs are not engaged, active, and as strong as they need to be. The plank can directly improve this issue with the abdominal strengthening it provides.
Be sure to maximize core strength with these additional moves.
Who Should Not Do?
The Injured
The plank is a slow and stationary exercise with a high value for strength and performance. Still, this exercise should not be done if there is pain or injury, especially in the hips, shoulders, and spine.
Significant muscle control is required through the abdominals, upper legs, and shoulders to stabilize those joints.
The level of pressure and muscle activation necessary for the plank makes it ill-advised to perform before you are prepared.
Those Unable To Move To And From The Floor
Not all exercises work for everyone, and it’s alright if the traditional plank is not feasible. The task of bending at the knees and hips to get down, and the strength needed to stand are significant.
There are a variety of reasons why moving to and off the floor just won’t work. If getting up and down off the ground is too much, consider completing this on a bench or walls.
Women Who Are Pregnant
The plank exercise can potentially be problematic in some cases for pregnant women. The exercise produces significant amounts of abdominal pressure, which may not be appropriate under certain circumstances.
Additionally, the positioning of the plank can be a concern with the stomach being between the body and the floor. For safety and the best advice, consult your doctor if you are considering the plank for your exercise routine.
Benefits Of The Plank
Builds Core Strength And Endurance
This is the most apparent benefit to the plank. The body’s natural resistance coupled with the engagement of core muscles creates endurance improvements.
This is accomplished not just in the superficial muscles, but through deeper muscles that run closer to your spine. As you advance consider alternatives that can add to this effect.
Enhances Posture
The first benefit to the plank that comes to mind is of course strength.
But, this exercise conveniently provides great postural improvements through active squeezing around major joints.
The lower abdominal tightening paired with gluteus activation is a great example, as these promote a neutral lower spine. Furthermore, healthy lower spine alignment influences good shoulder posture due to easier retraction of the shoulder blades.
Improve Balance
The plank exercise has an impact on balance. Whether in sports or daily activities, life on your feet requires balance to avoid falling. The trunk stability and reactiveness this exercise builds is the source of that balance.
There are a variety of circumstances in our daily lives where our center of gravity can be knocked off course. The ability of the core musculature to contract and control momentum is exactly what’s needed in these instances to maintain balance. The plank trains the body to display that muscular control.
Easy To Modify
Part of the plank’s greatness is its simplicity and variability. It essentially supports your body weight off the floor and is open to crafty adjustments.
You can lower yourself to your elbows, place your knees down, or even walk your knees under you.
The flexibility to adjust and still maintain benefits is amazing.
Frequently Asked Questions
For a beginner, starting at 10 to 15 seconds is great. The benefits are meant to relate to short stability moments of exercise and daily living.
The plank trains your body for strength stability and core endurance. The tighter abs, glutes, and upper back also improve posture.
No. Doing planks does not reduce fat since this is mainly a strength exercise. They can, however, be used in tandem with other exercises to enhance calorie burn.
You can feel strength and stability improvements from the plank in up to 2 to 3 weeks.
Resources
Endomondo.com refrains from utilizing tertiary references. We uphold stringent sourcing criteria and depend on peer-reviewed studies and academic research conducted by medical associations and institutions. For more detailed insights, you can explore further by reading our editorial process.
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