Planking is a time-saving exercise that can deliver! You can do it practically everywhere and at any given moment — in your living room while watching your favorite reality show, in your kitchen while waiting for the pecan pie’s crust to turn brown, or in the copy room while waiting for an office document to be reproduced 100 times.
Fitness experts recommend for you to sustain a proper planking position for 5 minutes. But if you are a beginner, feel free to maintain it at a shorter time period — eventually, you will be able to hold a plank for much longer durations as you get better and better at doing it! Try making your planks about 5 seconds longer each time for progress.
So what will happen if you perform 5-minute planks for 2 straight months? Here they are:
A Flatter Belly
Planking is an unparalleled exercise for the abdominal muscles. It’s exactly for this reason why planking daily can help you attain the washboard abs of your wildest dreams. If you loathe crunches and sit-ups as they leave you lightheaded and hurt your back, consider doing planks instead so that you may have your belly flattened.
Pain-Free Back
Speaking of hurting your back, did you know that planking everyday is actually good for your spine? It’s because planks help strengthen those back muscles that support your spine. What’s more, you will notice that your spine stays in a neutral position as you plank, so it’s kept out of harm’s way — unlike when doing other abdominal exercises.
Improved Posture
Planking also helps improve your posture significantly. Due to this, you will look taller and more confident. Having good posture is not only beneficial for your image and poise, but also your lower back and hips. That’s because planking strengthens the core muscles necessary to keep the said areas of your body in optimum condition.
Better Balance
You can considerably improve your balance when you plank for 5 minutes for a couple of months. Having superb balance is important in your daily living as it allows you to carry out all sorts of physical tasks properly. In addition, having top-notch balance helps lower your risk of accidental falls and injuring yourself.
Enhanced Flexibility
You also need to be flexible so that you may perform various tasks with utmost efficiency. From reaching for a can of pineapples on the top shelf to vacuuming the underside of the sofa, these chores require you to be flexible. Oh, having superb flexibility courtesy of planking will also come in handy when it’s time to show off your dancing skills!
Stronger Bones
According to experts, weight-bearing exercises help keep your bones strong. Actually, planking can be regarded as one of those exercises because it requires you to support your entire body weight with your arms and legs. Having strong bones is crucial for the prevention of osteoporosis, which is characterized by bones becoming brittle.
Reduced Stress Levels
It’s common knowledge that exercising is a marvelous way to keep stress at bay. But if you’re too tired at the end of a busy day, you may have not much energy left to exercise. Fortunately, there is one routine that you can perform daily without having to expend lots of your remaining energy, and it’s called planking!
Better Mood
We all know that exercising causes your brain to be flooded with happy hormones, and that’s why it is deemed effective in combating depression. Something as simple as planking for 5 minutes a day can help lift your mood. And knowing that you are doing your figure and health a huge favor, you tend to feel much better after a session.
You can enjoy all of these things simply by planking for 5 minutes daily for 2 months. So what’s next after a couple of months? Just continue planking religiously to keep these perks around!
