Plank exercises are a great way to work on your core and glutes and many people love doing them because you can feel these muscles working very hard, very quickly. However, it’s easy to do a plank incorrectly which can cause an injury and at the very least means you won’t get the maximum benefit.

Issues with technique range from the way you enter and exit the plank position to where you place your feet and hands and the way you hold your body when you are in a plank.

Here’s our ‘how to’ guide for perfecting your plank:

Start position

Start on all fours with your knees underneath your hips and your hands the same width as your shoulders. Walk your hands forward a pace in front of your shoulders. Tuck your toes underneath.

Action

Hover your knees just up off the floor so that you are balancing on hands and toes, your shins should be parallel to the floor. Push forwards, straightening your legs until your shoulders are directly over your hands and your body is in a straight line.

Perfect your position

The most common mistake we see is when people bend at the hips so that their bottom is sticking up into the air. So you might need to lower your hips slightly, tuck your tailbone under and clench your buttocks to perfect your position.

Make sure elbows are slightly relaxed and not locked fully straight and keep your chin gently tucked in so that your head carries on the straight line of your body.

To move back out of the plank don’t be tempted to collapse down onto the floor. Instead, reverse the initial action by bending your knees again until they are under your hips and lowering them down.

Plank challenge

If you want a bit more of a challenge try lifting one of your legs off the floor by a few inches while you are in a plank. Keep your knees straight and make sure that your pelvis stays level.

Have fun and don’t hestitate to get in touch if you need to.

The Pilatesfit Team!

Call us on 01223 914415 to book a private class or book online for group classes.