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Reasons you must do planks everyday

You may be practicing Yoga, Pilates or sweating it out in the gym, planks is one exercise that you'd have definitely heard about! Especially with body weight exercises becoming popular, planks will never get out of fashion. So much so, that planks has pretty much eclipsed the once favorite crunch. Crunch hits only your abs, whereas 'the plank' offers activation from hips to shoulder.

Experts believe that planks work on your abs the way they are supposed to, as it maintains the stability of the core muscles, maintaining the right posture and alignment of the spine. Here is why you must do it every day. To get into a plank, you hold your body off the ground, balancing on your forearms and toes.

Reason 1: Planks work on your core like no other exercise does. It engages major core muscle groups. These muscles help you build heavy weights, improve your capacity to jump and bend sideways and give a strong back.

Reason 2: It protects your back (spine) from injury. As per American Council on Exercise, regular practice of planks reduces back pain and strengthens your muscles and supports the entire back.

Reason 3: Some experts believe planks burn more calories than crunches or sit-ups. It also works on your metabolism and daily practice makes sure metabolism remains high all day.

Reason 4: Planks work on your posture, sitting and standing both. This is because the way planks work on your abdomen; it has an overall effect on your neck, shoulders, chest and back.

Reason 5: Planks expand and stretch the muscle groups in your posterior (shoulders, shoulder blades, collarbone), hamstrings, feet and toes.

How to get into a plank

Step 1: Lie down on your stomach and home your elbows right under your shoulders, while placing the wrists in the same line as your elbows.
Step 2: Lift your body balancing on the elbows (arms) and toes while contracting your stomach, tailbone and thigh muscles.

Step 3: Hold into this position while breathing normally

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