Benefits of Planking Every Day for 1 Minute

Benefits of Planking Every Day for 1 Minute

1) strengthens the core muscles

2) improve blood circulation to all vital organs.

3) reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease – primarily due to an increase in good cholesterol (HDL – High-Density Lipoprotein).

4)improves metabolism

5) improves the digestive system.

6) helps with weight loss

7) reduces the risk of getting colon cancer.

8) reduces lower back pain

9)helps with constipation

10)increases your energy levels, endurance, and strength.

11)reduces the risk of arthritis.

12)helps with depression, stress relief, and anxiety.

13)increases mental acuity.

14)helps you live longer by reducing the risk of many diseases.

15)gives you more confidence in yourself!

I don’t think this is an excellent metric to measure the plank’s difficulty because:

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a) The plank and push-ups are two completely different exercises, which means they have other muscles involved in each of them. So we cannot correlate their difficulty levels.

b) There are so many variables that can affect one’s score on either of these exercises. For instance, if you are pretty new to both the plank and push-ups (and this rule applies to any training), your score will surely be lower than it should be. Therefore, the correlation between each 2 of them is not realistic.

c) There is no standard score in both exercises. A person can get different scores on each try. Another point, the difficulty of each activity varies from one person to another depending on their physical conditions, age, gender, etc. For instance, if you are a woman or in your 40s/50s, your capability in doing push-ups will be less than someone who is 20-30 years old.

Therefore, the next time if someone asks you this question, “how many push-ups are equivalent to a 1-minute plank” please refer to them here :-). And tell them that it’s not a good idea to correlate the difficulty of these exercises with each other as they are different.

Planking every day for a month:

Yes, this is true. You can plank every day for 30 days without resting in between by alternating your body’s position on the floor (without raising your butt). Check here to know-how.

Planking while standing up:

This is possible. If you cannot maintain your balance, you might fall; however, if you can do it even for a minute, then congratulations!

Planking on one arm:

This is also not advisable as it may lead to injuries (elbows/shoulders) or make them stiff, which will cause other exercises to be complicated for you.

Planking with one leg:

Yes, it’s also possible to plank while standing on one 1-leg. But, your other leg should be in the air so that you can preserve your balance. But, again, this is an advanced exercise and not suitable for everyone. Only do this if you have a very stable core and strong back muscles.

Planking on stairs:

This is again one of the advanced exercises; if you can do this even for a couple of minutes, well done! However, keep in mind that your focus should be on keeping your balance and not lifting yourself instead of maintaining your core strength. Though it’s possible, I would suggest you stick with the planks that are easier for you.

Planking on a bar:

Personal trainers do not advise this because it puts your back, shoulders, and arms at risk of injuries; however, if you can do this without any damage, then congrats! But, I will advise you to stay away from such exercises to avoid injuries in the future.

Planking upside down:

Yes, this is one of the advanced exercises in which you have to hold yourself up in a horizontal position with your face towards the ceiling and feet facing downwards. Please read here to know how you can try it out at home itself. It’s great that you are keen on trying such challenging exercises without any gym equipment.

Planking with a medicine ball:

This is also one of the advanced exercises in which you have to hold yourself up in a horizontal position and keep the medicine ball under your back. The main reason why it’s not advised is that this exercise may cause injuries if done incorrectly. However, it’s up to you, and if you do it correctly, then go ahead and give it a shot.

Plank on beams:

Yes, this is also one of the advanced exercises in which you have to hold yourself up in a horizontal position with your face towards the floor and feet facing upwards. You can try this at home itself by placing a mat under your feet and holding yourself up (without lifting your butt) for a brief period. Then gradually, you can increase the hold time and then maybe go ahead with this exercise.

Plank on rings:

This is also one of the advanced exercises in which you have to hold yourself up using gym rings while facing downwards with your face towards the floor and your legs lifted.

You can try this at home itself by placing a mat under your feet and holding yourself up (without lifting your butt) for a brief period. Then gradually, you can increase the hold time and then maybe go ahead with this exercise.

Plank on tires:

Plank with weights:

This is also possible, but I will advise you to avoid it until you have a very stable core and strong back muscles. You can try this at home itself by placing a mat under your feet and holding yourself up for a brief period. Then gradually, you can increase the hold time and then maybe go ahead with this exercise.

Plank on Bosu ball:

Front planks:

The front plank is also one of the advanced exercises in which you have to hold yourself up with your arms and legs straight. Again, you can try this at home itself by placing a mat under your feet and holding yourself up for a brief period. Then gradually, you can increase the hold time and then maybe go ahead with this exercise.

Side planks:

The side plank is also one of the advanced exercises in which you have to hold yourself up with your arms and legs straight. Again, you can try this at home itself by placing a mat under your feet and holding yourself up for a brief period. Then gradually, you can increase the hold time and then maybe go ahead with this exercise.

Plank on rings with leg lifts:

This is also one of the advanced exercises in which you have to hold yourself up using gym rings while facing downwards and lift your legs upwards. You will need strong back muscles for this exercise. Also, please read here to know how you can try it out at home (with a mat and pillows).

Plank with weights on Bosu ball:

Yes, it’s possible, but I will advise you to avoid it until you have a very stable core and strong back muscles. You can try this at home itself by placing a mat under your feet and holding yourself up for a brief period. Then gradually, you can increase the hold time and then maybe go ahead with this exercise.

Plank benefits for the chest:

No, there are no direct benefits of planks for the chest. However, if you go ahead with this exercise regularly, your core will undoubtedly strengthen, and in turn, your chest muscles and your other upper body will also get toned. So, it’s a win-win situation.