Planks A Lot

The Plank. A well-known body weighted exercise that is within a number of fitness disciplines. Commonly thought of as building strength for the core, the plank works much more than the core; building strength and stability for everyday life. 

In Sanskrit it is Phalakasana. It is used commonly in our Sun Salutations which means, it’s been around a long time. It is still widely used in yoga practice, especially in Vinyasa Flow style yoga – often preparing us to move to Chaturanga Dandasana. However, it can also be a static pose in Hatha style yoga to help challenge our endurance. Truthfully, there are few types of classes where plank would not lend to the essence of the practice; restorative yoga comes to mind first. 

Let’s quickly look at some of the key anatomy points in our plank pose.

  1. Yes, Definitely the Core. But this is not just the six pack! We can’t forget the engagement through the side body, the obliques and transverse adominis. The lower back is also involved which is all considered part of your core.
  2. Shoulders. Staying strong through the shoulders helps to avoid that sinking feeling, preventing pressure in the back and will help you hold the pose longer.
  3. Biceps and Triceps. The biceps are helping with the rotation of the arm. Your triceps are the primary muscle keeping your elbow in full extension.
  4. The Quads, Glutes and Hamstrings. Let’s not forget the lower body! Our quads are working to keep the legs straight and squeezing those glutes not only helps us work in that area but it can give you more endurance in the pose, as well as support the lower back. Since we are in a prone position and we are working against gravity the hamstrings are working to keep the hips in extension.
  5. The Feet. There’s always a question around position of the feet etc. which I’m not going to address here as it can be an entire blog in itself! However, the feet are working hard as two of the four points the weight of the body rests and helps to ground to the earth in our plank pose. 

Here are some key points to get your best plank:

  1. Hands under the shoulders, spread wide, pushing away from the earth
  2. Arms straight
  3. Shoulders active and broad across the back, away from the ears
  4. Gaze down
  5. Legs together
  6. Quads and glutes engaged
  7. Pull the naval towards the spine
  8. Hips level – body in a straight line from the head to the heels
  9. Toes grounded, arches active, heels raised, but pushing back
  10. Steady breath 

The benefits of planking trickle into everyday life. From swinging a golf club, to picking up your kids, to enabling the strength and mobility to go down and back up from the ground. It’s linked to our posture, our ability to twist, and even sneeze without hurting ourselves.

The good news is we can plank just about anywhere! It takes no equipment but just a space that is safe for you to be low to the ground. The AYC is doing a Planks A Lot Challenge until the end of November. We challenge you to complete 10mins of planking in one day, with a minimum of 1 minute sets. This could be 10 x 1min, 2 x 5mins, or 1 x 10mins. Find safe and creative spots to keep it interesting. 

Plank, post, and tag us so we can share in your accomplishment. Use the hashtag #planksalot

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