Crunches may get all the love, but the plank is another practice you should add to your ab-sculpting regimen. Plank pose is exactly what it sounds like: holding your body in a straight line like a wooden plank. It may not seem like it’ll do much, but this exercise can work wonders, whether you’re trying to tighten your tummy or go for the ultimate goal of washboard abs.
Here’s why you should consider adding planks to your life:
• Planks help your stomach look slimmer. Now, we won’t lie: You’re not going to get washboard abs just by doing planks (or crunches). For that to happen, your nutrition must be on point and you need to do a mix of cardio and other strength training exercises, too. However, “with proper form, planks activate core muscles including the six-pack muscles and the ‘corset’ muscle that cinches the waist,” says Ivory Howard, M.P.H., a certified yoga and Pilates instructor based in Washington, D.C. In fact, planks work every muscle in your core: your front abdominal muscles, the sides of your waist, the muscles in your lower back and hips, the muscles in your pelvic floor, your diaphragm and your glutes. “You want to strengthen all of those in order to pull in your stomach and achieve that flat look,” says Howard.
• Planks work both upper and lower body. Though planks are mostly a core exercise, they can also help strengthen the arms and shoulders, especially if you do different variations, Howard says. Push-ups, walking planks or plank rows can all help tone the upper body. And activating your glutes, quads and hamstrings while in a regular plank, or doing a reverse plank or a plank with a shoulder tap, can give your lower body a good pump.
• Planks improve your posture. Poor posture isn’t doing your appearance any favors. When you’re not in what’s known as neutral spine (maintaining the natural curves of the spine), oftentimes that means you have an arched back and you’re pushing your stomach forward, Howard says. This can give that dreaded potbelly look. “Plank exercises help you to maintain a neutral spine, or proper alignment, preventing the abdomen from protruding,” says Howard. So, even if you haven’t lost a lick of weight, your stomach may look flatter (and you may look taller).
• Core exercises make daily activities easier. Think movements like reaching to get something from a top shelf, bending to pick something up off the floor and twisting to check your blind spot while driving. A strong core can also help improve balance and stability and reduce your risk of (or improve) lower back pain.
• Planks help prevent exercise-related injuries. Having strong core muscles helps you better brace yourself when performing other exercises like dead lifts and squats. That means you’ll be at less risk of injuring yourself.
• Planks are convenient. You can do these body-weight moves anywhere, anytime. They take only minutes. And no equipment is necessary (though you may want to do planks on a carpeted area or mat for cushioning).
• There are many variations. Planks can be adapted to fit any fitness level, whether you’re a newbie, a plank queen or somewhere in between.