Honestly, how’s your lower back right now? If you said “uncomfortably stiff and inflexible but thanks for asking” you could be a typical American, as we have a whopping 80% chance of suffering from lower back pain. Since being tall inflates these odds by 22%—with all that extra back mass and excessive stooping leading to bad posture—you can begin to heal and protect your back with the humble plank exercise. It requires no equipment and even a 30-second plank can produce positive results.
The plank engages 20 muscles in your core, primarily the spinal erectors (the large muscles along your spine that help you twist), the rectus abdominals (aka the “six-pack”), and the transverse abdominal (the innermost abdominals that stabilizes your spine). Activating all these muscle groups while placing your body in a natural alignment helps you maintain a straight and proper posture, which can reduce or eliminate chronic lower back pain.
Like Scrabble, the plank is easy to learn but challenging to master. Here’s how to perform a forearm plank:
Step 1
Lie face down with your forearms on the floor and your elbows below your shoulders.
Step 2
Look down while you raise yourself up from your toes, keeping your body parallel to the floor.
Step 3
Hold this pose for 30 seconds while breathing normally.
Boom. You just did a plank.
But what about crunches? Aren’t they the gold standard for core exercises? Not anymore, since it’s been proven that crunches place unnatural stress on the verterbrae, unlike the plank’s neutral spine position. Crunches are your friend from high school who claim they want to hear how you’ve been doing yet makes every conversation about them. You’re only engaging out of habit, and that habit is bad for you.
Pennsylvania State University noted that planks work your abs harder than crunches. Harvard Medical School recommends planks because crunches only work seven of your core muscles, causing a muscular imbalance. The US Navy think planks are a better tool for conditioning than crunches, which they target as a key cause of lower back injuries. Dr. Stuart McGill, Ph.D., Professor of Spine Biomechanics at University of Waterloo’s definitive take on eliminating crunches: “There are only so many bends in your spine until the discs eventually herniate.”
Crunches are limited and unsafe. You should do planks instead.
We can’t prevent picking up items that are lower than we’d like. We can’t prevent crouching to achieve temporary comfort. But we can preemptively protect our backs with daily planks, and all we’ll need is a minute, and gravity.
Medical disclaimer: Please consult your doctor, your trainer, and common sense before trying new exercises.
Image Credits: thoroughlyreviewed.com