One of my favorite studio owners told me once that whenever she gets stressed she hits the floor for a Plank. In addition to being a studio owner stress reliever, I consider the Plank to be the Super Man of all dance excercises.
If you are keeping up with my blog (as you should be) then you know this is not the first time I have mentioned, demo-ed, and raved about the plank being the best tool for improving techique in other areas of dance. Today we are just going to talk about why this is exercise is so great and focus soley on ways to maximize your Plank Time with some useful variations.
We often think that the planks is a great ab exercise but it can also help with you arms, back, legs, and pretty much whole body. If you are doing a plank correctly your shoulders are very activated which will help with your upper body, your glutes and hamstrings are activated which will help with your supporting leg stability, your abs are pulled in therefore your back is also working which will help will control and balance...so many things are being activated which is why it is so so good.
I believe a plank a day will certainly help you gain strength and power for dancing and potentially, as the saying goes, keep the doctor away. In terms of how long? The plank is an exercise that is more effective the longer you are in it. Because the entire body is being used you should be able to stay in a plank longer. The more "time under tension" you can endure, the more effective it becomes as long as you do not sacrifice your form. I recommend a minimum of 5 minutes a day. But holding a plank for 5 minutes hardly seems fun and engaging. In addition to being bored, you aren't really maximizing the benefits of a plank if you are merely holding it.
So...how can we get get the most benefits from our plank in a such a short time each day? By adding variations. Here are just a few of my favorite:
- Lifting one leg up off the ground: either in parallel or turned out, this will help activate the supporting leg's muscles and obliques as well as the working leg's glutes, low back, and hamstring. A great way to work on arabesque lines and any issue you have with balance and control through your supporting leg.
- Side Plank: by giving ourselves a smaller base we increase the intensity and the need to engage our side body as well as our front and back to maintain balance. This is a great one for working on balance issues. Variations within the side plank can be done on forearms, with top leg lifted straight up, with top leg in passé (parallel or turned out), or with top leg straight in front (woof, that one is tough)
- Forearm Plank: By eliminating the incline that you get when you are on your hands in a regular plank, you are adding intensity to your back and abs. You are also able to activate the muscles in your upper back and shoulders more as you try to maintain space in your shoulder blades. Very esstencial for creating a beautiful port de bras.
I have included one of my wonderful Youtube videos for you to see how to make 5 minutes of planking go by fast by moving through different variations. Watch, share, and do! Hope you enjoy and happy planking!
Take Care of you, Dancers!
Liz