Plank Basics. The plank is one of the most effective exercises to tone your stomach and strengthen your lower back. Even holding a plank for a minute will make you feel the burn. Form is very important for a great workout and to save yourself from injury, make sure your body is in a straight line and your head & neck are even with your shoulders. Proper form will give you the best workout and results.
Set a reasonable starting goal. It’s ok to work your way up to your plank goal. Success with planks is all about form. Think about how long you can hold a plank with proper form. If you can do a plank for 15 seconds before you lose your form, Great! Hold for 15 seconds, rest for 15 seconds and start again. 5 minutes worth of planks may take you 10 minutes to accomplish when you add in rest periods. Remember, slow and steady wins this race.
Change it up. The more you vary your routine, the more you keep your body alert. This will really help to make the most of each 5 minute workout. Add weights, add kicks, move up to basic plank instead of elbow planks. Look for great ideas to keep your workout interesting so you stay motivated.
Celebrate your success. Do you know what has been the most exciting thing about this 5 minute workout? The sense of accomplishment I feel every day when I’m done. Every day – just 5 minutes is all I need! My celebration? I am using my kids’ superhero stickers as a daily tally on my calendar to see my success. And it’s really important to me to get every sticker. (I do the same thing for running – love my star stickers 4x a week!). Find something that works for you – maybe it’s a hot shower, maybe it’s a new song for your playlist or maybe it’s new shoes – if it works for you, then it works.
You can get the flat stomach you’ve always wanted. Yes, it will take work, but you have time and you can do this. Start with what you can do – if it’s 15 seconds or 1 minute or 5 minutes – you can make it happen and giving yourself a pat on the back may be just what you need.
BDST: 1835 HRS, Oct-12, 2014
