Perfect the simple plank move, and you will open yourself up to a world of body benefits, including a stronger core (shoulders, arms, and glutes too!), improved posture, and a flat belly. Sounds great, right? There’s one problem, though: You may be unknowingly cheating yourself out of these results if your form’s not up to par.
To make sure your plank is on point, follow these tips from Health‘s contributing yoga and wellness editor, Kristin McGee.
RELATED: 20 Ways to Do a Plank
Here’s how to do it: Life facedown with legs extended and elbows bent directly under shoulders. Feet should be hip-width apart and arms shoulder-width apart. You can place palms on the floor or claps hands together. Engage abs, tuck toes, and squeeze glutes to lift your body off of the floor. Focus eyes ahead about a foot in front of your hands. Maintain a straight line with your head, neck, shoulders, back, butt, and legs. Hold it for 20 seconds. As you get stronger, continue adding time. Too easy? Up the difficulty by performing the move with straight arms.
Trainer tip: Don’t hyper-extend your knees, allow your butt to rise, or drop your head.
Try this move: Perfect Plank
RELATED: 5 Plank Variations You Need to Try
from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1eqIiBF
