24.08.18  Planking for Beginners

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Story at-a-glance

• Core body strength is essential to the power in your upper and lower body, your ability to move easily, and to reduce your potential for back pain
• Holding an abdominal plank for two minutes is a good indicator of your overall physical fitness
• Simple plank exercises designed for beginners may be accomplished in just minutes each day and can be adjusted to add more challenge as you advance

By Dr. Mercola

Exercise is one of the core pillars of optimal health. It is an essential tool in your arsenal of lifestyle choices if you want to reduce or eliminate medication, improve your strength and flexibility or enjoy your everyday life with more energy and vitality. It is relatively impossible to achieve optimal health without exercise. Your body was designed for movement and it's never too late to get started. No matter how old you are or how out of shape you think you've become, today is the day you can start to improve your future.

Of course, if you have an underlying medical condition, have an injury or haven't exercised in a long time, you'll want to seek medical advice from your physician. You may also want to explore a wide variety of different types of exercise to maximize your health benefits. These include strength training, core training, burst training and cardiovascular work.

Most people think of just cardiovascular exercises when they consider a workout program, but strength, core and burst training are just as important to your overall health. In the video below, Jill Rodriguez, personal trainer at Mercola.com demonstrates planks for beginners. But first let's talk about why core strength is important and how to make it fun.

Why Core Strength Is so Important

Core strength is so much more than strengthening your abs or having a flat stomach. Your core muscles, those around the middle of your body, are like a link in a chain of muscles. If you've experienced back pain in the past, you know that movement in your arms or legs creates a ripple effect that's felt in your back as well. Almost any movement you make requires the activation of your core muscles.

This means your core muscles don't just include your abdominal muscles, but also those that cover your sides and your back. Pelvic muscles and even your hip muscles all work together to keep you upright, standing straight and pain-free.1 These muscles work together to provide your spine stability and strength.

By definition, your spine is unstable. The small bones in your back allow your body to twist, turn and bend. However, without strong muscles to maintain an upright posture, this flexibility becomes a liability and not an asset. Acting almost like a corset, these muscles protect your back from injury and chronic pain.2

Weak core muscles will also weaken the actions of your arms and legs. No matter how much strength training you do to improve the power in your legs or the ability of your arms to lift, with a weak core foundation, you won't achieve your best results.

Functional Benefits of Core Strength

Taken separately, there are many different benefits to improving your core strength. Many of these fall under one of five different categories.

•Strength and Flexibility. The strength and stability of your back is the foundation of your ability to move and function every day. Although opposite ends of muscle function, both are necessary to keep you upright and stable, even over the bumpiest of terrains. Imagine what riding in a roller coaster would be like if your back and core muscles didn't keep your spine stable.

•Reduce Back Pain. The source of your back pain just may be a poor balance of strength in your core muscles or weak core muscles that cannot adequately support your spine and body. Studies support the recommendations to improve core strength in order to prevent or treat back pain.3,4,5

•Improve Balance, Posture and Stability. Poor posture is one trigger for both upper and lower back pain. Improving your core strength may improve your posture by giving you the strength to stand and walk correctly. This strength also translates to better balance and greater stability, a necessary ability as you grow older.

•Improve Your Ability to Perform Daily Tasks Safely. Core strength improves your ability to lift, turn, twist, sit, stand and walk. Sitting at your desk, working at your computer, making phone calls and doing paperwork, can all make your back muscles stiff and sore if you don't have the strength to sit with good posture.6

Daily tasks — such as carrying groceries, walking on icy sidewalks or lifting children — are less likely to trigger an injury when your core is strong.7 You'll be more likely to regain your balance and reduce the potential for overtaxing accessory muscles your body engages when your core is weak.

•Better Athletic Performance. With strong core muscles, the recreational and athletic activities you enjoy become easier. Whether it's golf, jogging, rowing, fishing, bowling, biking or baseball, these activities are powered by a strong set of core muscles.

An Overall Test of Your Fitness and Why It's Important

Physical fitness and activity are important to both your overall health and prevention of several health conditions. There is a large body of evidence that much of the burden of ill health rests at the door of a sedentary lifestyle.8 This ill-health is both physical and mental.

Exercise and being physically fit reduces your stress level, improves your sleep, increases your energy level and reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression.9 All of these factors improve your self-esteem and make you feel proud of how you both look and feel about yourself. While these factors are important to your mental health, exercise also has a significant impact on physical factors that play a role in your ability to perform your daily activities and in reducing your experience with pain and disease.

Being physically fit promotes maintenance of a healthy weight, which in turns reduces your risk for type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, cardiovascular disease and stroke.10 Other physical conditions affected positively by exercise include a reduced risk of osteoporosis.11One way to test your level of fitness is by using a plank test. If you can hold a standard abdominal plank, described below, for two minutes, then your overall physical fitness is off to a great start.

You may feel as if your current fitness level is not represented well if you can't hold the plank, but it could be your core strength is a problem and not your cardiovascular or extremity strength. However, since core strength is so integral to your overall fitness, it's important you incorporate planks in your fitness routine. If physical fitness hasn't been a priority or you find it dull and boring, you may benefit from some ideas on how to make it fun.

Make It Fun

Sometimes you just need to make exercise fun in order to make it a habit in your life. Your first step is to stop negative self-talk, or the little voice in your head that repeatedly says, "I hate this!" The more you say it, the more likely it is you'll believe it. Find a partner you can exercise with a couple times a week. Look for someone motivated to making changes in their life and commit to each other to show up and share your results.

Set a challenge for yourself and a reward when you achieve it. For instance, when you can do a two-minute abdominal plank, you'll buy yourself a new MP3 player to listen to music while you're out walking. Music is an important motivator. Think about how some tunes make you just want to get up and dance and others can make you feel sad.

Choose music that energizes you and keeps you motivated to move forward. Music is also a great distraction when you're pushing to maintain your plank for those last 30 seconds.

Record your improvements as you progress. It can be difficult to see improvements from day to day, but when you compare how long you've held a plank between the first day of the month to the last day of the month, it can motivate you to continue your work toward greater core strength. You never "arrive" at a fitness level where you can stop and rest on your laurels, but you do experience benefits and results from the first week you start. Rodriguez says:12

"Planks are a great alternative to doing crunches. It improves the strength of your core musculature; of your abdominals, lower back, hips and shoulders. And it also improves posture and balance."

Basic Plank Maneuvers

In this eight-minute video, Rodriguez demonstrates plank positions you can use as a beginner, and includes variations to help you continue to improve your strength and balance. Remember the idea is to gently stress your muscles and connective tissue to improve your strength. This requires patience and time.

While you will see results within days, don't be tempted to increase your level quickly or you may suffer an injury. Each of these maneuvers can either be held for 30 to 60 seconds, or you may choose to do 20 repetitions. Here are several beginner plank maneuvers that work different muscle groups:

• Basic Plank. Stand approximately 3 feet from a wall. Press your hands into the wall, elbows straight, weight on your toes and hold for 30 seconds. You may also do this on the floor with your hands flat to the floor and knees bent.
• Up Down Plank. Start on the floor on your knees in straight-arm position. Next, move to your forearms, hold for two to three seconds and move back to a straight arm position. Up and down is one repetition
• Planks with Leg Raises. Start on the floor with your knees bent and in the straight-arm position. Pull one leg up toward the ceiling as if a string were pulling your leg from behind the knee. Hold for one or two seconds and bring it back down. Repeat with the other leg. This is one repetition.
• Plank with Knee Crunch. Place your hands flat on a chair or bench, placing your body in the plank position, bearing your weight on your toes. Bring your right knee to your right elbow and return to the start position. Repeat with your left leg. This is one repetition.

Don't Make These Common Mistakes

Rodriguez warns all planks must apply postural rules to reduce injury. These include:

• Shoulder, buttocks and legs in a straight line
• Head in neutral position, looking approximately 8 to 12 inches in front of you
• Abdominal and gluteal muscles tight and hips tucked in
• Shoulder blades pulled down
• Lower back in neutral position without excess or reduced lower back curvature

It may help to do your planks in front of a mirror, or ask a friend to watch and give you feedback about your position, or film yourself with your phone or camera to evaluate your plank position. When done incorrectly you may put more stress on your lower back and may not achieve the results you desire.

Three of the most common mistakes happen when your hips are either lower or higher than they should be, or when you look straight ahead instead of 8 to 12 inches in front of you. Each of these changes in position places strain on your back or your shoulders, making the exercise much less effective.

Remember, as you start, it may not look perfect. You just have to work to make it look better than it did the last time. With each new session you'll improve both your form and the benefits you experience. Practice patience and you'll be rewarded.

Visit the Fitness Video Library

Story at-a-glance

• Developing and maintaining a strong and functional core will promote good posture and help prevent back pain
• The plank is one of several fitness tests that can give you an indication of your potential health risks. If you cannot hold plank position for two minutes, you're likely lacking in core strength
• Planking engages multiple muscle groups simultaneously, making it a very efficient and effective core-strengthening exercise
• If your core is really weak, you’re more likely to suffer back pain. Beneficial abdominal exercises that also provide spinal decompression include reverse curl-ups and leg passes
• Slacklining is a great way to infuse your fitness routine with fun, and few exercises can compete with it in terms of improving your balance and building a strong core

By Dr. Mercola

There are many good reasons to work on and develop your core muscles, and these benefits go far beyond the aesthetic bonus of getting flatter abs.

Developing and maintaining a strong and functional core will ensure that other areas of your body will work more harmoniously, allowing you to maintain good posture and conduct everyday movements of reaching and bending more easily and safely. It will also help prevent back pain1 and improve your continence.

Planking has become increasingly popular for core strengthening, and for good reason: it works. Slacklining is another fun and exciting alternative that is gaining popularity.

Core Efficiency

The plank is one of several fitness tests that can give you an indication of your potential health risks. If you cannot hold plank position for two minutes, you're likely lacking in core strength, which is important for overall movement stability and strength.

Being unable to hold a plank for two minutes may also indicate that you're carrying too much weight, and would benefit from shedding a few pounds.

Planking engages multiple muscle groups simultaneously, making it a very efficient and effective core-strengthening exercise. As discussed in a recent Huffington Post blog,2 you can also perform the plank in different directions: front, side, and reverse—each direction engaging different sets of muscles for all-around toning and strengthening.

The front-facing plank engages the following upper and lower body areas: abdominals, lower back, chest, shoulders, upper trapezius and neck, biceps, triceps, glutes, thighs, and calves. Side planking is particularly effective for training your obliques, which really helps stabilize your spine, while the reverse plank places the focus on your glutes, hamstrings, abs, and lower back.

Proper form is important, however, and overdoing it could lead to injury. Be particularly careful if you already have a bad back. You want to start off holding the plank position for several seconds, slowly working your way up to where you can hold it for about two minutes. As noted by Estelle Underwood in the featured article:3

"If you feel any neck or low back pain while doing the exercise, this may be an indication of weakness in the upper or lower regions of the spine. If the core is too weak, the spine will sag, causing compression in the vertebrae, pressure on vertebral discs, and/or shoulder joint inflammation."

Planking 101

Planking will help build your deep inner core muscles that lay the groundwork for that six-pack look. (Keep in mind, however, that in order to really get "six-pack" abs, you have to shed fat. Men need to get their body fat down to about six percent, and women around nine percent in order to achieve that classic six-pack.) Here are two key points for performing a front-facing plank correctly:

• While in plank position, pull in your bellybutton. Your bellybutton is attached to your transverse abdominis, that inner sheath that holds your gut inside and gives your spine and vertebrae a nice, weight belt-tightening type of support.
So by pulling it in, you begin to contract that deep inner transverse abdominis muscle. If you want to work your six-pack rectus abdominis muscle, drive your chin down toward your toes while you're focused on squeezing your bellybutton in.
• Next, do a Kegel squeeze. More women than men might be familiar with this term. A Kegel squeeze is performed by drawing your lower pelvic muscles up and holding them up high and tight. For men who aren't familiar with that term, it's similar to trying to stop urinating in the middle of the flow. This squeeze will allow you to feel and focus on your abdominal muscles.

To perform a side plank, start by lying down on your right side, keeping your legs straight. Next, raise yourself up on your right forearm; your body should form a straight, diagonal line from head to toe. Your hips and knees should be off the floor. You can rest your left hand on the floor in front of you for support, on your hip, or behind your head. Brace your abs and hold for one minute.

For the reverse plank,4 start out by sitting on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. Placing your palms on the floor, below your shoulders, squeeze your buttocks and thighs, and then push your body up into a reverse plank position.

Alternatively, you can begin placing your elbows rather than your hands on the floor, for a less dramatic lift. Again, keep your body in a straight diagonal line from shoulders to heels, making sure your hips are in line.

In the video above, fitness trainer Jill Rodrigues demonstrates a variety of front planking positions, including the basic, intermediate, and advanced basic plank.

Reverse Curl-Ups and Leg Passes

As I've mentioned on numerous occasions, prolonged excessive sitting takes a tremendous toll on your health, and I strongly recommend incorporating non-exercise movements into your daily routine to counteract these ill effects. The simplest way to do this is to make sure you're standing up every 15 minutes. That said, excessive sitting also has a direct impact on your core by weakening your transverse and internal oblique muscles—the muscles most responsible for keeping your gut pulled in. The result? A saggy, flaccid midsection.

If you have a really weak core, you're also more likely to suffer back pain, in which case you may be better off starting out with abdominal exercises that also provide spinal decompression. This includes exercises such as the reverse curl-up and/or leg passes.5 To perform a reverse curl-up, lay on your back on the floor, then lift your knees and round your lower back as you lift your knees toward your chin; buttocks lifting off the floor. Your head should remain on the floor. This is a small movement. You do not actually touch your knees to your chin! As noted by physiotherapist Sarah Key:6

"If you have a neck problem, clamp your hands on the front of your forehead (this helps to take the neck out of action). Keep your ankles crossed to make the legs less unwieldy and keep your knees wide so your hips don't pinch. Fifteen at a time is the optimum number [of repetitions]. Don't worry if the movement feels quite meager; it will get better quite quickly as you find it easier getting your bottom off the floor."

Leg passes, which resembles a bicycling action, also trains your lower abdominals and helps take pressure off your spine. According to Sarah Key, it's particularly beneficial if you have a tight back or rigid, painful hips. Start out by lying on your back with your knees bent; both feet on the floor. Stretch your arms out above your head for support.

Suck in your abdominals and pull your right knee toward your right armpit, getting it as close to the armpit as you can. You want to keep your lower back "glued" to the floor, so make sure you tighten your abs and push your spine down. Then, as you lower your right knee back down, simultaneously raise your left leg toward your left armpit. Keep both legs bent at all times. Do about 15 repetitions.

The Benefits of Slacklining

Slacklining7 is a great new way to infuse your fitness routine with a dash of fun and excitement, and few exercises can compete with it in terms of improving balance and building a strong core. It's also excellent for improving your focus—many "find their zen space" while walking on a slackline. Since the two inch wide ribbon wobbles, your body's muscles are constantly having to shift and adjust to maintain your balance. As a result, you'll strengthen your spine, back, and stomach, as well as your hips, legs, knees, and ankles. For a little history on this up-and-coming form of exercise, check out Slacklining4U.com:8

"The Slackline itself was born in the early 1980s in Yosemite-Valley, California, USA by rock climbers looking at ways to improve balance. It also proved to be a successful means to practice and have fun when no rock climbing was possible due to wet weather. Adam Grosowsky and Jeff Ellington were the first guys to walk a Slackline. Unlike the traditional tightrope walking, with steel wire or hemp rope, they used polyamide-webbing that is a lot more dynamic, light and comfortable to use. The advent of the dynamic webbing system established a totally new era for balance movement."

Based on Eric Goodman's recommendation, I started slacklining earlier this year. I've made some progress in that I can stand on the line for longer than a minute, both parallel and perpendicular to the line. I practice on the line nearly every day that I'm home, and my balance has improved so that I can surf. My next goal is to be able to walk the line, which I hope to achieve later this year. When I do, I will do an article on the process. The site also provides detailed how-to instructions9 for safe slacklining. Here's a quick summary of the key points. To learn more, please visit Slacklining4U.com:

1. You'll need to purchase a proper line. For beginners, a 25-50 mm/1-2 inches wide webbed line is recommended, measuring about 4-8 meters/13-26 feet in length. The wider and shorter the line, the less bouncy it will be. To increase the level of difficulty, select a thinner and/or longer line. You can also decrease or increase the level of difficulty by tightening or loosening the slack of your line.
2. Set up your line; around six inches to one foot above the ground when you are standing on it. This will help you avoid injuring yourself if you fall off. As long as the line isn't touching the ground when you stand on it, you'll get the benefits, so no need to risk unnecessary injury by raising it too high in the air.
3. Healthy trees with a diameter of 30 centimeters/11 inches or more are generally suitable for holding a slackline. Alternatively, you can attach the line to an iron post or other solid and sturdy fixture.
4. Start out by placing your strongest foot, straight, heel-to-toe, on the slackline, a few feet in from one end.
5. Focus your eyes on a fixed point in front of you, and try to keep your head up rather than looking down at the line. This will promote good posture and better balance.
6. Put your arms out and knees slightly bent for optimal balance.
7. Keeping most of your weight on your front foot, find your balance on your second foot, then slowly step forward.

Build a Strong Core for Life

Again, building a strong core isn't just about developing six-pack flat abs. It's important for overall health, stability, mobility, and good posture, too. Moreover, it can help prevent back pain, which is the most common cause for disability across the world. Core workouts don't have to be boring, however. Slacklining can inject a sense of adventure and play into your routine, and is one of the best ways to increase mental focus and physical balance.