The amazing Stickie likes to keep
her abdominals strong. She knows
lots of ways to do this, but today has chosen to do a plank. This is one of the most effective
exercises for building core strength.
It has the advantage of requiring no equipment; it also requires no
movement!
Stickie likes to begin lying on
her belly on the floor with her toes curled under and her hands under her
shoulders, allowing her to press up into position. However, many alternative ways of getting into position are
possible and useful. In the actual
position, her shoulders are directly over her hands. She does not stick her behind up into the air. She does not let her belly sag down
toward the floor. She keeps her
head in line with the rest of her spine, neither dropping it down nor cocking
it up. She holds herself straight
and strong from feet to head. That
is all. She stays as long as she
can manage. Thirty seconds is a
good start; with practice, a hold of a minute or more is doable.
This exercise has
variations. If holding the plank
position is too challenging, holding a knee plank is a good alternative. In that case, the body is a straight
line from knees to head, as in a modified pushup position. The plank can also be done against a
higher surface, hands on a chair, bench, counter, or wall. People with wrist issues or whose upper
body strength isn’t up for the basic position can rest on elbows instead of
hands, but it is important to keep the hands apart because that is
cheating! The elbow position also
provides more challenge to the core for many people, so it may enhance the
experience.
