Would you like to find the quickest way to tighten and tone your core? Toss out the crunches and replace them with planks! It’s a fact, planks fire up multiple muscle groups at one time. During a plank, you hold the body stiff in place for short periods of time, extending your time as your body gets stronger.
Planks are a simple, yet very effective body weight exercise. Keep reading to learn how to get started and the amazing changes it can bring to your life!
How to Start
Get in a push-up-like position. Hands shoulder-width apart. Press your toes into the floor and tighten your lower and upper body, including the glutes and the abs. Hold that position for 20 seconds. Breathe in and out. Practice a slow and steady inhale and exhale. As you get stronger you can hold the plank for longer.
Make Planks A Daily Routine
Who doesn’t have 20 seconds to get fit? I bet you have 60 free seconds per day. Curly Girl Fitness challenges you to start planking every day. Write each plank down. Log how long you held it for. Try to hold longer each time.
Keep reading to see what will happen if you add planks to your daily routine. Find different plank variations here.
Improve Posture
Do you sit at a desk all day? Feel tense and tightness in your neck? How about experience daily back pain? Planks will improve your posture and strengthen your back. Planking will strengthen your back, chest, abs and shoulders. Developing stronger core muscles will also help you to maintain a more upright posture. A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning found that the plank provides 100% activation of your six-pack muscles whereas crunches only engage 64%.
Tighten That Tummy
Most of us are searching for our 6-pack. Find yours with daily planks! That’s right! Along with a healthy diet and cardio, planks will tighten, tone and strengthen your tummy. Define those stomach muscles by holding your plank pose. Planks are a very effective abdominal workout.
Boost Your Mood
Planks stretch out the muscles of the body, easing tension and stress. This is a bonus for the bodies nerves. Planks have been used for treatment of depression and anxiety, because they help to calm the brain.
Burn Fat and Increase Metabolic Rate
Strength training of any type will increase your metabolic rate and help you to burn fat. The bonus with this is that your metabolism rate will continue to increase even after planking. Yes!
To sum it all up, planking 3 times per day for only 20 seconds each time can change your life. Reach your fitness goals and live healthier by adding planks to do your daily routine.
Thanks for stopping by today! Do you like planks? Tell us below.
Sabrina Tutt, Founder of Curly Girl Fitness
We are Curly Girl Fitness. We are a fitness apparel t-shirt line aimed at encouraging women and girls of all shapes and sizes to fashionably promote their curly hair while also embracing health and fitness as a way of life. Here at Curly Girls Fitness we love fashion, fitness and naturally curly hair, our brand embodies all those qualities and was created with you in mind!
Shop Now!
Leave a comment