Crunches are the most common ab (rectus abdominis muscle) exercise.
However…they along with situps may not be the most effective way to build muscle and strengthen your core.
Strengthening your core (ie. abdominal muscles), can improve stability, reduce injury, and maintain mobility.
A few months ago I gave up crunches of all sorts and replaced them with The Plank. It’s such a simple exercise that you can do just about anywhere; at home, the gym or in a hotel room. They are great when you travel!
The best part is they only take a few minutes to do. Actually, it takes me three minutes. 1 minute for a regular plank, one minute for a left side plank and one minute for a right side plank. See 1+1+1=3 minutes! That’s it.
Plank exercises might be very simple, but at the same time, they have a long list of benefits, too!
When you perform a plank you recruit a better balance of muscles on your front, sides, and back during than when doing sit-ups – which target just a few muscles.
Remember, your core goes far beyond your abdominal muscles.
When you perform a plank you are engaging and working your biceps, shoulders and neck muscles. And those are just the upper body benefits!
Your lower body gets a great workout, too! Planks work your chest, lower back, glutes (ie. the junk in your trunk), thighs and calves. All these separate body parts are working at the same time which make the plank the most time-efficient exercise you can do!
Read more about the benefits of doing planks by clicking the link below.
Now that you’re excited about how awesome planks are I have an idea…
Let’s do a 30-day plank challenge beginning on August 1st.
The challenge is to perform one exercise per day for a certain amount of time – from 20 seconds on the first day to 5 minutes on the thirtieth day.
I know you can do it!
Check out the entire workout here!
I’ll post on the FB Page every day as a reminder! Contact me here if you have any questions.
Meet Denise E. Stegall, the CEO and Curator of Living Healthy List.com. With 25 years of experience and study in nutrition, cooking, exercise, and coaching, she helps female entrepreneurs and businesswomen curate a healthy, happy, and productive life.
As an inspirational thought leader, Denise provides honest, research-backed information on health, wellness, personal development, and fun for real-life application. Her platform, Living Healthy List, is a go-to community for health and wellness resources, empowering positive changes and creating the life you want.
Denise’s background in nutrition and her philosophy of “Eat Real Food, Make Good Decisions, and Be Accountable” shaped her International Best Seller, “Healthy Living, Happy Life: A Practical Path to Finding the Healthy Lifestyle That Works for You!”
She goes beyond her book and Living Healthy List to offer “Forever Wellness Lifestyle ,” a groundbreaking group coaching model with individualized roadmaps for true health, balance, stress management, confidence, and an uplifting lifestyle. Denise E. Stegall is devoted to empowering individuals to embrace holistic well-being and fulfillment.
“Living a healthy lifestyle does not have to be hard! “