Without boring you too much on the specifics of core muscles, just know there are a lot of important muscles around your spine that are strengthened with plank exercises like these. A single exercise that literally will only take a couple of minutes a day, can improve your core muscles, reduce injury, increase metabolism and burn fat.
In order for the day plank challenge to be effective, it is important to make sure you have the proper plank position. The picture below illustrates the basic plank with proper form. It is important to keep the form as shown to prevent injury and maximize effectiveness. According to Healthline , planking can burn up to calories per minute.
Control Your Diet
When considering a 30 day plank challenge for weight loss, the benefits of toning is actually much more important than the calories being burned during the exercise. After 40, I realized I had lost so much muscle mass, which is so important for metabolism burning more calories for weight loss. Planks can help to burn fat long-term as your body gets more toned and metabolism is increased, however, as discussed above, per calorie burn, there are exercises such a cardio workout that will burn more fat.
For this challenge, you can start off with a standard plank as shown above or even a forearm plank, working your way to a standard plank when you feel stronger. This day plank challenge will jumpstart your fitness.
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You will be stronger with a higher metabolism after 30 days of plank exercises. Notify me of follow-up comments by email.
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Notify me of new posts by email. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. But in recent months, I lost sight of the obvious benefits of planking, so we went on hiatus. I would usually throw in a few plank holds after some post-run squats and crunches, but one day I was running late for a meeting and thought, "I'll skip them just this once.
That's what happens. You think these movements are so small they don't matter, but they totally do.
Why You Should Add Plank Exercises Into Your Workouts
So what does planking do for your body? It doesn't just work your rectus abdominis, but also the rest of your core , and can even help you build strength in your shoulders, chest, upper back, and thighs. So yeah, there are plenty of reasons why planks are good for the body. I recently realized my core felt like a loaf of sourdough bread and my back ached like I was So I told myself it's time to re-plank my way to fitness.
One proven way to start a new habit and stay committed to it is by setting a monthly goal, so I gave myself the target of planking five minutes a day for an entire month. The five minutes didn't have to be consecutive, but the amount of work needed to add up to that. Before starting, I asked Steph Creaturo, yoga teacher , run coach , and planking fiend, what I should keep in mind during every plank. Engaging your transverse abdominis — the deep core muscle that's responsible for flattening your abs and stabilizing your core from front to back — while you plank is key, she says.
What Planking Every Day for a Month Did to This Guy’s Body
Day 1: It's the first minute of my first plank and there's nothing but me, my living room floor, dead silence, and the timer on my iPhone. One timer dings. I move from a forearm plank to a side plank. Another side plank. Three tiny beads of sweat form on my forehead. I try to focus on the thought "What does planking do for you? Ideally, this would force me to get up from my desk and use the rest of my body for 60 seconds at a time. Not so ideal: I do two plank holds, forget about the rest until after dinner, and am forced to do the remaining minutes on a full stomach.
I do not recommend this. Day 3: Yep, more planks. Forearm planks, side planks, and straight-arm planks are my sweet spot, but I flirt with the idea of planks with leg lifts until-nope, yeah, gonna have to work up to that. Day 4: Oops, forgot to plank today, but I think I've discovered the problem. Habits get locked in when they're instituted by a trigger action. Changing into pajamas signals it's time to brush your teeth, etc.
I haven't found a trigger for my planking, and what doesn't get scheduled doesn't get done. Day 5: Aha! Here's my trigger action — running. I do my two sets of five-minute planks making up for yesterday right after a nighttime run and my other core exercises. They're getting slightly easier. Day 6: Since I don't have plans to run today, I try to knock out my quota in the morning. Sleepy arms don't like planks, but I do find one new trick. Instead of setting a one-minute alarm five times, I download a timer app , which can be programmed to automatically reset a one-minute timer.
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No breaks, but I'm finished much faster. Day 7: Now I'm really getting creative. Full plank, forearm plank, side planks, and a bicycle plank. OK, maybe I made this exercise up, but I felt like moving my legs. Day 8: Time to check up on proper plank form. I realize my back and hips are dipping, so I focus on engaging my core like I'm about to get punched in the stomach — and whaddya know, the planks become both easier I feel much more solid and harder all the other muscles I was ignoring begin to activate.
Day 9: I turn on a short YouTube workout video to watch instead of my timer and it helps the seconds tick by. And then 20 minutes pass and I realize I'm still lying on the floor watching YouTube in my workout clothes. Day I'm so busy with work and deadlines that exercise is the last thing on my mind. I forget to plank.
Day I forget to plank again. I think about how finding time for exercise can feel like a luxury. In the hierarchy of daily priorities, something's always gotta give.
Day I remember to plank, but don't feel like it. Not going to lie, I feel pretty guilty. Day Why do we self-sabotage our exercise habits? This is a real question.
There are 1, minutes in a day, and this activity only takes up five. Instead of planking, I probably spent a half hour telling myself "don't forget" and another five minutes lying in bed thinking "you forgot. Day Determined to make up for my failures, I resolve that this is going to happen. I feel like I've gone backward, and the struggle is real.