How planking can improve posture and overall health

Planking — a full-body exercise focusing mainly on the core — is one that everyone from fitness newbies to gurus loves to hate. Planks have also become a viral trend, hitting social media platforms across the nation, with some variations including dance moves, push ups and more.

Grammy-, Emmy- and Academy Award-winning icon Cher recently bragged that she’s able to do a five minute plank, which is pretty impressive even you’re not 72.

If you’re up to the challenge, here are four benefits that planks have for your body.

Posture

Bad posture is one of the main reasons for back problems. Having a weak core can lead to injuries, sciatica , bad balance, low endurance and difficulty breathing. Planks work muscles in the neck, shoulders, back, thighs, pelvis and legs. Planking also helps with overall stability, helping your muscles learn to work together.

Better alignment

Because planking makes you practice in one position, you’re creating muscle memory and improving core strength. Just as yoga helps practitioners focus on balance and over all body strength (among other things), planking’s focus on the core muscles helps ease tension from the neck and shoulders, keeping the spinal cord aligned.

Total body strength

The plank is an exercise that works the entire body, strengthening your pelvic and shoulder girdles, legs, core, back and arms.

Improves Metabolism

You can burn 4-5 calories per minute of planking. Planking also helps sustain higher levels of caloric burn during resting breaks according to Healthline. The use of all major muscle groups is a major calorie burner and a boosts metabolism. And the exercise improves circulation.

A couple planks to help you get started

At first glance a plank may look easy, but it’s a little tougher than it seems. Even if you’re not able to do a five minute plank like Cher, there are some ways to help you work up to it.

The Up and Down

This version of the plank is perfect for those who already have a little balance and can hold a plank for a short amount of time. When doing this variation of the plank.

Knee Planks

Knee planks help you get the upper body motion of the plank locked down before you lift your legs. This variation might look easy, but don’t be fooled: There is still major core strengthening going on when doing knee planks.

Whether you’re planking for posture, to boost your metabolism, or to improve flexibility and alignment, this exercise is perfect to add to your workout routine. Just a few minutes a day goes a long way.