The plank is a popular exercise in Pilates, yoga, and other fitness classes and is great for people with Parkinson’s disease. Holding this position strengthens your core and gives your whole body a workout. They also build endurance for the arms and legs, especially the shoulder, back, and abdominal muscles helping you to maintain an erect posture.
Watch the video below for the different types of plank modifications that will work for all stages of Parkinson’s disease.
Common Rules in Every Variation of the Plank
When you do a plank, pay special attention to your alignment. Certain key elements will be part of each version of the plank. Use this checklist to make sure each plank you do reinforces the integrity of your whole body:
- Your abdominal muscles are in and lifted.
- Your spine and neck are in neutral.
- Your shoulders are relaxed with the scapula (shoulder blades) settled in the back, not popping up, think: “put them in your back pockets”
- Your body creates one long line from your ear to your ankle bone for full plank and to your knee for bent knee variation.
- Your neck is a long extension of your spine.
- Keep breathing.
Let’s get planking:
Full Plank
- Begin on your hands and knees with your knees directly under your hips, and your elbows directly under your shoulders.
- Glide your shoulders back and down as if you were going to slide your scapula into your pockets, keep your chest open and collar bones up.
- Lift up in your middle as you step one foot straight back and then the other. Keep your legs engaged in supporting the plank position.
- Keep your abdominal muscles pulled in to support the movement as you step back into a plank position. Again, your legs are together. The length of your body is supporting this move — it is not focused only on the upper body.
- It is tempting to either sag in the middle or let the butt be too high. Make sure you are in a straight line.
- Hold for 3 – 5 breaths. Relax by putting one knee down at a time. Repeat 1 or 2 more times.
- Modify with the bent knee plank. It’s exactly the same except you bend at the knee and cross your ankles.
Side Plank
We can take advantage of unstable positions to help us develop core strength as the core muscles have to work hard to make the subtle adjustments that keep the form we want and fight gravity.
Side plank takes support from the whole body, especially the abs. But in side plank, you are going to need your core to provide even more stability for the pelvis, and you will need a lot of shoulder stability and arm strength as well. Caution with this one if you have shoulder problems.
- Begin sitting sideways with your legs folded to the side. Put your top foot on the floor in front of the other or stack the feet.
- Place your supporting hand on the mat straight out to the side, just a few inches beyond your shoulder.
- Before you press up, draw your abs in, drop your shoulders, and lengthen your spine.
- Press into the supporting arm and extend your legs to lift your pelvis away from the mat. Take your body into a long line.
- Feel support from your abs, from under the supporting side, and from your back.
- Squeeze the tops of your legs together. Think of pulling your sit bones together. This will give you more support from the pelvic floor.
- Make sure you are stacked vertically so that your shoulders are one on top the other, as are your hips.
- Your top arm can remain on your side or on your hip or you can extend it toward the ceiling.
- Smile.
- Hold a few seconds or a few breaths if you are strong. If you start to sag, take a break. There is no point in holding a position with poor form.
- Modify with the bent knee side plank. It’s exactly the same except you bend at the knee and cross your ankles.
Standing Modified Plank:
- Stand in front of a stable object like a counter or the back of a couch.
- Lean on elbows, keeping them in line with the shoulders.
- Slowly with help if needed, walk your feet back so you are now at an angle.
- Keep shoulder blades in neutral and be very long and tall.
- Pull abs up and in.
- Breath
Have fun and challenge yourself. As always, keep fighting. Coach Kimberly