Awesome health benefits of 5-minute plank workout
Plank is one of the most effective exercises to gain core strength and tone your abdomen area. Apart from this, the plank pose is also considered to be a yoga asana and it has many different variations. Some variations of the standard plank pose include forearm plank, side plank, and reverse plank, etc. In addition to the core, this exercise helps in strengthening the muscles in your back, chest, arms, thighs, and shoulders.
Though it seems to be a very simple exercise, it is a very intense full-body workout in reality. Getting into the plank exercise for weight loss might be easy, but the longer you hold it, the more you will feel its intensity. Plank is great for improving the stability & strength of the whole body. Apart from the physical benefits, there are other awesome health benefits of a 5-minute plank workout.
5-minute plank
How to do the plank pose?
To do a plank, you need to lie down on the floor on your stomach. After that, place both hands on the floor near your chest & lift your body using your arms strength. Make sure that your arms and body are completely straight. Also, your lower body should be on your toes. Hold this position for as long as you can and repeat the same steps every time.
Plank health benefits
Here are some of the best health benefits of doing the plank pose daily.
Best core workout – Plank is one of the most amazing core workouts to strengthening and tone abdominal muscles. It targets some of the most important muscles of the body. These muscles include gluteal muscles, abdominal muscles, and oblique muscles. All these muscles help in improving the stability, flexibility, and strength of the body, while also keeping back in perfect shape. Consequently, you can perform well in sports, weight lifting, and all other daily activities. Moreover, it also helps in burning fat from the belly to toning it into perfect shape.
Boosts metabolism – Plank is a far more effective exercise for burning calories than other core-targeted exercises. Moreover, this workout is primarily focused on the most important muscle groups of the body. Thus, muscle-building results in a higher rate of metabolism in the body. When you have a fast metabolism, you lose fat quickly and maintain proper weight. Thus, doing the plank pose daily is great for your overall body fitness & muscle growth. Also, you need to make sure that you eat a healthy diet to avoid gaining weight due to muscle bulking.
Improves body posture
The plank pose is an excellent workout to improve your overall body posture. When your back, core, and upper body muscles are stronger and healthier, you automatically have a great posture. Planking helps in strengthening of muscles in neck, chest, shoulders, back, core, and arms. Thus, you tend to have a better body posture with perfect alignment. Also, perfect body posture helps in preventing bone injuries, digestive issues, and undergrowth problems. This is the reason why experts recommend everyone to do the plank pose daily.
Prevents back pain – Planking is a great way to get rid of back pain, as it focuses on the strengthening of the core area. A stronger core helps in keeping the spine aligned, strong, and in proper shape. Thus, your back muscles don’t get overused or overextended while doing daily chores. Moreover, plank pose helps in improving body posture, flexibility, and bone strength. Consequently, you can do all kinds of activities without triggering any kind of back pain
Improves muscle structure – As the plank pose is focused on all major muscles of the body, it helps in strengthening & toning of all the muscles. The targeted areas include the core, shoulders, arms, back, and chest. When you do the plank pose regularly, all the muscles in these areas are built and strengthened. Thus, these muscles become more clear and visible in the form of a lean & muscular body. Moreover, you can perform all kinds of strenuous tasks easily.
Decreases chances of back/spinal injury
According to several health organizations in the world, the plank pose is one of the best back strengthening exercises. As plank helps to build and strengthen your gluteal and abdominal muscles, your back automatically becomes stronger & protected. Moreover, the plank pose is great for posture improvement and flexibility of the back. Thus, the chances of back or spinal injury are reduced to almost zero by doing a plank daily.
Enhances overall body balance – By strengthening and building all the major body muscles, the plank pose improves your overall body balance greatly. This is because our core plays the most important part in maintaining body balance and coordination. All the daily activities like walking, running, cycling, dancing or workout, depend on our core strength. Thus, a strong core helps in making all kinds of exhausting tasks easy for you. Moreover, it also helps in preventing back injuries that can easily happen due to vigorous activities like heavy weightlifting.
Improves body flexibility
The plank pose is a great exercise as well as yoga asana for strengthening the core and improving body flexibility. As this workout targets all the major back muscles, it helps in stretching & development of all these muscles. Thus, the muscles in the shoulders, upper back, and lower back become more flexible and stronger. Moreover, other variations of the plank can even help in improving the flexibility of your waist, hips, and other areas.
Improves bones & joints strength – Undoubtedly, the plank pose is one of the most effective and excellent full-body workouts. By improving the overall body strength, flexibility, posture, and fitness, it helps in making the bones & joints stronger. Our bones and joints are very important for us to perform any kind of physical activity. Thus, regular planking helps you to carry out rigorous weight-bearing activities like weightlifting, hiking and dancing easily.
Improves your mood – Several medical studies have confirmed that endorphins are released in the brain while doing a plank or physical exercise. Endorphins are a neuro chemical hormone that triggers the feeling of happiness & decreases stressful feelings in the brain. Thus, you automatically feel happy and stress-relieved by doing the plank pose regularly.
The bottom line!
So these were the 10 awesome health benefits of a 5-minute plank workout daily. The best thing about the plank pose is that it doesn’t require any special equipment. Whether it is weight loss or muscle development, this pose is one of the best exercises for you. Always remember to eat a healthy diet along with regular exercise to stay fit & healthy.
