(1).jpg)
The Low Plank Pose can be done by:
1. Start by coming onto your hands and knees. Make sure your knees are aligned with the hips and your hands with your shoulders or slightly in front.
2. Spread your fingers widely apart and keep your palms connected to the ground, while you extend your legs out behind you and tuck your toes under.
3. Keep reaching your heels back away from you, as you come up into a plank position with the arms straight and chest lifting. Draw your abdomen in, lifting the front of your body back towards the back of the body.
4. Now lower your body halfway down, by bending your elbows – keeping your muscles in the shoulder, upper arm and core engaged. If you start to collapse, lower the knees down to the floor and then slowly bend your elbows, keeping them close to your body.
5. Once your upper arms are parallel to the ground, keep your gaze looking forward. Try to hold this position for as long as you can, keep breathing steady. Additionally, keep your focus on having a straight and good form.
6. To release the pose, slowly lower your body down to the ground as you roll over the toes and connect the tops of the feet to the ground. From here you can keep the arms close to the body and come up towards a cobra pose. From here press back into your hands and find your way back to your hands and knees.
OPTIONS
• Performing this position with the knees on the ground can be a good start when practicing this position.
• If you like to strengthen the abdominal and glute muscles first, you can practice the planking pose first.
• Once you start to lower halfway to the full pose, you can move quickly towards the ground. Over time building up the strength to stay longer balancing halfway down.
CAUTIONS
Read the following cautions to stay safe:
• This exercise can be very challenging. If you are unsure whether you are able to do this pose, try the pose first with the knees down on the floor.
• This pose is very challenging on the abdominals, the front shoulder muscles, the triceps, and pectoral muscles. Make sure you do not have any injuries in these areas.
• It can also be stressful on the wrists. If this is the case, try turning the wrists a little more outward and ground the palms of your hands, while spreading your fingers apart. You could also place a steady and sloping object under the hands, which reduces the angle of your wrists and hands, or do this exercise on your fists (though this last suggestion requires extra balance and is thus more difficult).
• Make good use of the muscles to the back of your body to keep good form.
• If you are concerned about anything with this pose, please consult your physician about whether this practice is good for you.