Great Reasons to Incorporate Planks in Your Workouts

Sharon Moore September 22, 2015

It’s true - you don’t always need expensive fitness equipment to get fit. Body weight exercises - or those that only require using your own body weight to burn calories and strengthen muscles are gaining so much popularity as they are not only practical, but highly effective. And speaking of body weight exercises, planks are among the best to try. Doing planks every day for several minutes can greatly help you reach your fitness and health goals. Below are great reasons to try planks.

Your posture will significantly improve.

If poor posture has always been your problem, doing planks every day can be super helpful. Strengthening your core muscles promotes good posture because they have a profound effect on the overall condition of your neck, shoulders, chest and back.

Your risk of having back injuries will reduce.

Core muscles are the only muscles that are not attached to the bones. So when you do planks, your weight totally depends on them. This is why it can be hard to stay on a plank position for long, especially on your first few tries. This exercises helps you build muscles in your tummy without putting pressure on your hips and spine.

You’d have better balance.

Similar with posture, having strong core muscles allows your body to have better balance and coordination. Improving your balance is highly important for almost every type of sports activity, from running to cycling and everything in between.

Your flexibility improves too.

As you this exercise, you also stretch your posterior muscle groups - those found in your collarbone, shoulder blades, and arms. What’s more, you also stretch out your hamstrings, arches of your feet, and toes.

Your metabolism will increase.

Planking allows you to burn calories by simply working out your core muscles and making them grow and develop. Plus, doing planks everyday can boost your metabolism - another crucial factor for weight loss. This is specifically important especially if you are spending most of your day sitting in front of a computer. Incorporating planks in your everyday workout is a great, great way to amp your metabolism and lose weight.

Your mental health is benefited too.

Planks have a peculiar effect on nerves, making them a wonderful way to elevate your mood. In what way? Simple. Planks stretch out the muscle groups that contribute to stress and tension. Just think about your normal workday setup. You spend hours in front of the computer, your thigh muscles get tight, and your legs feel heavy. At the same time, tension develops in your shoulder. All these puts a lot of strain on your muscles and nerves, which has a profound effect on your mood. Doing planks is a great way to boost your blood flow and restore your energy, and ultimately, uplift your mood

So that’s about the amazing benefits of planking. It may really cause pain on your tummy at first. But surely, it’s all worth it. As you progress, you will find yourself being able to do planks for longer periods of time. And who knows, you may just go on to develop the six-pack abs everyone else dies for.