Reverse Plank Exercise Benefits: Inverted Excellence

My passion for fitness began early, thanks to my father’s introduction to the world of workouts. Like any beginner, I made mistakes, such as blindly imitating bodybuilders and neglecting my core muscles. Over time and through research, I realized the crucial role core strength plays in overall fitness. Gym workouts go beyond weights and cardio, encompassing core strength, posture, flexibility, balance, bone health, blood circulation, and breathing. This realization led me to discover the reverse plank exercise benefits, which strengthen the core, lower back, glutes, and shoulders. In this article, let’s explore the reverse plank exercise benefits.

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Reverse Plank Exercise Benefits – Understanding Core Muscles

Most of the time exercisers do not pay enough attention and importance to the strengthening of their core muscles.

Core muscles are crucial for overall fitness as they provide stability, support the spine, and facilitate movement.

A strong core improves posture, balance, and athletic performance while reducing the injury risk.

In addition to boosting exercise performance, strong core muscles also make you more efficient in performing your day-to-day activities.

It is good to have a basic understanding of your core muscles:

• Rectus Abdominis: This is the “six-pack” muscle in the front of your belly. It helps you bend forward and is involved in exercises like sit-ups and crunches.
• Transverse Abdominis: Think of this as your body’s natural weight belt. It wraps around your middle like a corset, providing support and stability.
• Internal and External Obliques: These muscles are on the sides of your abdomen. The internal ones help with twisting and bending sideways, while the external ones assist in twisting and side bending.
• Erector Spinae: These muscles run along your spine and keep it upright. They play a crucial role in supporting your back during movements like bending and lifting.
• Quadratus Lumborum: Found on both sides of your lower back, it helps stabilize your pelvis and spine during movements like side bending and lifting your hip.
• Pelvic Floor Muscles: These form the bottom of your core and provide support to pelvic organs like the bladder, uterus, and rectum. They are crucial for bladder and bowel control, as well as sexual function.

Reverse Plank Exercise

The reverse plank exercise primarily targets the muscles in your core, lower back, glutes, and shoulders.

The exercise involves such practices where you have to keep your core strong without bending forward.

Such practices make your back strong alongside working on muscles of the spine, glutes, and hamstrings.

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How To Do Reverse Plank Exercise?

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1. Begin by sitting on the floor with your legs extended in front of you.
2. Place your palms on the floor slightly behind and outside your hips, fingers spread wide.
3. Lift your hips and torso towards the ceiling, dropping your shoulders away from your ears.
4. Look up to the ceiling, point your toes, and keep your arms and legs straight, forming a strong, straight line from head to heels.
5. Squeeze your core, pulling your belly button back toward your spine. Hold this position for up to 30 seconds.
6. Lower your hips and torso back to the floor to return to the starting position.

For beginners, start with the regular plank before progressing to the reverse plank.

Hold the reverse plank for a few seconds at first, gradually increasing the duration while maintaining good form.

When performed correctly, the reverse plank engages various muscles, including the core, glutes, and hamstrings, providing a comprehensive core workout.

It can also serve as a rehab exercise to enhance core and spinal stabilization.

Types of Reverse Plank Exercise

While the reverse plank is considered an intermediate-level exercise, it can be modified to suit different fitness levels, either making it easier or more challenging.

1. Elbows and Forearms on the Floor: If you have wrist issues, opt for this modification by placing your elbows and forearms on the floor instead of your palms. Keep the elbows in the same general spot, slightly behind and outside the hips.
2. Reverse Tabletop Pose: For a slightly easier variation, try the reverse tabletop pose. Similar to the reverse plank, this pose involves bending the legs with feet planted on the ground. When lifted, the knees form a 90-degree angle, creating a flat surface from knees to shoulders—resembling a tabletop. Avoid this pose if you have carpal tunnel syndrome or any shoulder, neck, or wrist injuries.
3. Single-Leg Reverse Plank: Once you feel confident, challenge yourself with one-legged reverse planks. This entails performing a reverse plank with only one foot on the ground and the other raised in the air.

To intensify this move further, raise the lifted leg as high as possible.

However, ensure you avoid this variation if it puts strain on your wrists, shoulders, or neck.

Reverse Plank Exercise Benefits

Let us look at the key benefits of reverse plank exercise:

• Core Strengthening – The reverse plank is excellent for building strength in your core muscles, including the rectus abdominis, obliques, and transverse abdominis. This helps improve overall stability and support for your spine.
• Muscle Strengthening – In contrast to bodyweight exercises such as the traditional plank and push-up, which focus on the front muscles of the body, the reverse plank targets and strengthens the posterior muscles, including the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back.

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• Improves Shoulder Strength – Reverse plank engages the upper back and shoulder muscles and improves their mobility and stability as per Mikayla Campbell, Nike Well Collective trainer and instructor at Hot 8 Yoga.

The reverse plank involves lifting the chest and opening the shoulders, enhancing flexibility in the front of the shoulders and chest.

It also strengthens the triceps and, as suggested by Galvin, helps reduce stiffness in the neck and upper body, improves posture, and supports overall shoulder mobility to reduce the likelihood of pain.

• Strengthens Wrist Muscles – Another benefit of the reverse-plank exercise is that it strengthens and increases the flexibility of your wrists.

The position of fingers pointing towards feet can help increase wrist strength and mobility, as it requires your wrists to support your body, Mikayla Campbell, says.

Increasing (or at least maintaining) wrist strength and mobility might seem trivial, but it is important for overall quality of life.

• Bone Health – Weight-bearing exercises like the reverse plank can help maintain bone density and prevent conditions like osteoporosis.

• Improves blood circulation – When holding the reverse plank position, blood flow increases throughout the body, which can improve circulation and promote overall cardiovascular health.
• Improved Posture: Regularly performing reverse plank exercises can contribute to better posture by strengthening the muscles that support your spine and pelvis.
• Flexibility and Range of Motion: The reverse plank also involves extending your body, which helps improve flexibility in the shoulders, chest, and abdomen. It can contribute to an increased range of motion over time.
• Balance and Coordination: Holding the reverse plank position challenges your balance and coordination, requiring the activation of stabilizing muscles throughout your body.
• Low-Impact exercise – The reverse plank is a low-impact exercise, making it suitable for individuals of various fitness levels and ages. It puts minimal stress on the joints while still providing a challenging workout.
• Improves Functional Fitness – The strength and stability gained from practicing reverse planks can translate to improved performance in daily activities and sports, as well as reduce the risk of injury during these activities.

Takeaway Message

Reverse plank exercise has a myriad of benefits to offer to you. Practicing them regularly will give you a strong core and enhanced flexibility.

It also benefits you by improving posture, balance, and overall stability.

It makes you more efficient in your day-to-day tasks and reduces the risk of injuries.

For those seeking a comprehensive and versatile form of exercise, reverse plank exercise can prove to be a good choice.

As with any exercise, it is essential to perform the reverse plank with proper form and technique to maximize its benefits and minimize the risk of injury.

If you are new to exercise or have any existing health concerns, it is always a good idea to consult with a healthcare professional or fitness expert before starting a new fitness routine.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article should not be considered as a substitute for a physician’s advice. Please consult your treating physician for more details.

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Readings & References

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9624361/#:~:text=In%20the%20NFSP%20group%2C%20LT,exercise%20(p%20%3E%200.05).
• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/364280348_Immediate_Effects_of_the_Reverse_Plank_Exercise_on_Muscle_Thickness_and_Postural_Angle_in_Individuals_with_the_Forward_Shoulder_Posture
• https://journals.lww.com/nsca-scj/fulltext/2012/04000/the_reverse_side_plank_bridge__an_alternate.15.aspx