Yoga Central - Plank Pose

This is the latest article in our yoga central series and today we will be looking at a pose known as plank pose. We will look at how to properly carry out the pose, the benefits you can get from it and anything that you need to consider before beginning. Please read the entire article before trying the pose. rnHow to Carry Out the Pose We have put together instructions on how to carry out the pose correctly however there are also a number of modifications that can be done to make the pose easier as well as deeper. These modifications will be found lower in the article. rn1. You should start this pose in downward facing dog pose. Make sure you carry out the full steps of that pose to ensure you get yourself in the right starting position. Rather than coming back to your hands and knees after completing the pose you can move into plank pose following the below steps to carry it out properly. 2. From downward facing dog pose, inhale and move your body forward until your arms are perpendicular to the floor. You should make sure that your shoulders are directly over your wrists and your arms are straight. Your chest should also be parallel to the floor. rn3. You should firm the balls of your index fingers and thumbs against the floor to keep your stability and press the outer arms in towards your body. Now firm your shoulder blades against the back and spread them away from the pine. You should also spread your collarbones away from the sternum. 4. It is important to keep the body firm and you can do this by pressing the front thighs towards the ceiling. In it also important to stop the tailbone from rising so you should press it slightly towards the floor as well as lengthening it towards the heels. Make sure your neck is long and away from the shoulders but still soft. You should look straight down at the floor keeping the face and eyes soft. rn5. Remain in the pose for 30 – 60 seconds and then you can either push back into downwards facing dog pose or come down to hands and knees and press back to rest in child pose. Tips and Precautions This can be a relatively easy pose to carry out however it is not recommended for people who suffer from certain repetitive strain injuries for example carpel tunnel syndrome. If you do then you should not practise this pose until your condition is completely cleared up. If you are new to this pose you may find it difficult to strengthen the arms sufficiently and so you may want to consider using a strap. The best way to do this is to loop a strap around your arms just above the elbows and press your inner arms against it. You should also release the outer arms from the shoulders towards the floor and lift the inner arms from the base of the index fingers to the shoulders. Benefits and Focus This pose is mainly focused on strengthening the body. In particular it will strengthen the arms, wrists and spine. In addition it will also help to firm and tone the abdomen. Although this will not specifically help with medical conditions it could be useful for a backache. Often having a strong spine and abdomen can help to support your back and ease the pressure on it. It is however important to get the pose right so that you do not put unnecessary pressure on your back and make the problem worse than it was originally.