Do you know what your core actually is?? What it does to your body?? How much body strength it can hold??
"Core is that area of the body in which the major muscles are concentrated including the pelvic muscles, abdominal muscle, multifidus, internal and external obliques and many more."
Following are the functions of the core:
- Contains and protects the internal organs
- Ensures greater mobility of the spine and trunk
- Maintains posture
- Stabilizes the top part of the body over the bottom part
- Controls the pelvic-lumbar relationship.
- The core is used to stabilize the thorax and the pelvis during dynamic movement and it also provides internal pressure to expel substances (vomit, feces, carbon-laden air, etc.)
- Women use their core muscles, specifically the during labor and delivery
Want to check how strong is your core?? Just perform an activity and know your core.
- Sit on the floor.
- Try to get up without keeping your hands on your knees or on the floor. Do not take any support.
- If you could stand without taking any support, then your core is a bit stable.
- If not, then perform the exercise mentioned below and make your core stronger.
It is been suggested majorily by the fitness trainers and health experts that the most effective and important exercise for strengthening the core is "PLANKS".
How it can be done??
- Place your hands directly under the shoulders like you’re about to do a push-up.
- Ground the toes into the floor and squeeze the glutes to stabilize the body. Your legs should be working in the move too; careful not to lock or hyperextend your knees.
- Neutralize the neck and spine by looking at a spot on the floor about a foot beyond the hands. Your head should be in line with your back.
- Hold the position for 20 seconds. As you get more comfortable with the move, hold your plank for as long as possible without compromising form or breath.
#Elbow Plank
- Keeping your position in the Standard plank now slowly place your elbows on the floor.
- Ground the toes into the floor and squeeze the glutes to stabilize the body. Your legs should be working in the move too; careful not to lock or hyperextend your knees.
- Neutralize the neck and spine by looking at a spot on the floor about a foot beyond the hands. Your head should be in line with your back.
- Hold the position for 20 seconds. As you get more comfortable with the move, hold your plank for as long as possible without compromising form or breath.
#Side Plank
- Start on your side with your feet together and one forearm directly below your shoulder.
- Contract your core and raise your hips until your body is in a straight line from head to feet.
- Hold the position without letting your hips drop for the allotted time for each set, then repeat on the other side.
- Keep yourself in elbow plank position.
- Slightly raise your one leg (as far as feels comfortable, without compromising your back).
- Keep your hips parallel to the floor, then alternate legs.
- This variation increases the demand of the core.
#Arched Back
#Poor Neck Alingment
#Too Low To The Ground
#Butt In The Air
So these were some of the most commom mistakes that people do during planks. Try to avoid this mistakes as much as you can and make your core stronger than before.
