While side planks can strengthen your core, they won't magically melt away belly fat or give you visible abs.
Many wonder if side planks can help to reduce belly fat. Yes, it can because it works up your abdominal muscles. The yoga pose might seem easy to ace, but when you try to hold the position, you will experience a mildly painful stretch around your abdomen.
Aerobic exercise includes any activity that raises your heart rate such as walking, dancing, running or swimming. This can also include doing housework, gardening and playing with your children. Other types of exercise such as strength training, Pilates and yoga can also help you lose belly fat.
The forearm plank is one of the more challenging variations of planks that specifically targets deep abdominal muscles responsible for sculpting flat bellies. Start on your forearms and toes, keeping elbows directly under your shoulders, back straight, and head aligned with your spine while engaging your core.
Plank with Hip Drops is an effective way to help reduce your hanging belly. This exercise works by strengthening the abdominal muscles, shrinking the waist area, and toning the obliques.
Losing belly fat involves reducing the total mass of body fat. Some exercises that can help include planks, bicycle crunches, and burpees. Other techniques for reducing belly fat include reducing the calorie intake, staying hydrated, and improving sleep hygiene.
So, what does planking do for your body? It doesn't just work your abdominal muscles but your entire core, and can even help you build strength in your shoulders, chest, upper back, and thighs.
Strengthening this area of the abdominal wall actually decreases the risk of back pain and makes for a stronger, more stable core. From an aesthetic perspective, side planks will tone your obliques, “whittling” your waist and helping you lose inches, if that is your goal.
Abdominal exercises such as crunches or sit-ups do not specifically burn belly fat, but they can help the belly appear flatter and more toned. Other exercises that can help whittle the waistline and tone up the belly include bicycles, planks, and side planks.
Adding the side plank to your routine will improve posture and help reduce the possibility of developing lower back pain. Research has shown that a strong core can alleviate chronic lower back pain and help protect athletes from developing such problems in the first place.
Planking alone isn't going to make you leaner and stronger, but you could definitely do worse than daily planks. As Shaw explains, after 30 days of consistently planking, the average man should see 'a dramatic improvement in core strength and they should also be able to sustain the plank for a longer period of time.
“It's OK to start with shorter sets and work up to 60 seconds,” he says. Plus, shorter planks can still give you a solid workout, Sklar says. He suggests holding a plank for 10 seconds, relaxing for five to 10 seconds, then re-engaging for 10 seconds, and repeating for three to six sets.
Improved core strength: At its, well, core, the plank is a powerful exercise to improve and maintain core strength as you age. Better balance and stability: Unless your instructor asks you to do a hip dip while planking, you want to remain steady and stable in this anti-rotation exercise.
While the humble crunch can work wonders for your core, the plank provides optimal results when it comes to aiding sports performance, rehab and general fitness. So, if you really want to maximize the benefits of your core training the increased muscle activation you get with a plank means it's the way to go.
You can strengthen and tone abdominal muscles with crunches or other exercises focused on your belly. But doing those exercises alone won't get rid of belly fat. The good news is that visceral fat responds to the same diet and exercise strategies that can help get rid of other extra pounds and lower total body fat.
Abdominal exercises: Specific abdominal exercises such as crunches, planks, and leg raises can help to strengthen the muscles in the abdominal area, which can help to improve the appearance of belly overhang.
Burn more calories than you eat or drink. Eat more veggies, fruits, whole grains, fish, beans, and low-fat or fat-free dairy; and keep meat and poultry lean. Limit empty calories, like sugars and foods with little or no nutritional value. Avoid fad diets because the results don't last.