Not all online fitness challenges are effective but we want to share a 30-day challenge that will benefit your health. Today we are going to talk about the experience of someone who accepted this challenge.
The challenge is to maintain the same posture for a certain period: 20 seconds on the first day and up to 5 minutes on day 30.
30 Day Plank Challenge
Journalist Leah Wynalek decided to test the effectiveness of the challenge.
Leah is not a sedentary person, so she thought it would be an easy test. “I was overconfident. When I did them right, my core quaked, and I’d look desperately at the timer on my phone as it counted down to zero,“ she confessed.
© DEPOSITPHOTOS
My abs strengthened. I didn’t quite realize it until the final week when my plank hold felt considerably easier than during week one. Although I didn’t see any difference, I could feel it. “
But that was not the only change. “I felt that all the accumulated tension when I was sitting at my table had disappeared. I was surprised by the energy I felt after a short period of exercise, “she said.
Leah Wynalek taking a plank break at work. © larepublica
If you include this exercise in your daily routine, you will get more benefits:
- You will gain strength.
- You will improve your posture.
- It will stimulate your metabolism.
- You will work on various muscle groups.
- This will help prevent injury.
Consider the following if you decide to accept the challenge:
Maintaining proper posture is essential to avoid injury.
Just because it is an isometric exercise, it should not be considered simple or risk-free.
Overweight people or those with heart or back problems should consult a doctor before accepting the challenge.
When you have enough experience, you can challenge yourself with other varieties of plank exercises that can be found in this article.
Preview photo credit DEPOSITPHOTOS
Based on materials from BBC, La República