To keep fit and prepared for when the swimming pool is ready to open again, this series will present some exercises that you can do at home with minimal to no equipment requirements.
Planks are an ideal core-strengthening exercise as they target all the abdominal muscles at the same time. There are many variations of planks, however, this is the basic technique.
With your elbows directly under your shoulders, and your feet pressed into the ground, raise yourself up on your forearms. Be sure to keep your body in a straight line from ankles to shoulders, and don’t allow your back to arch or your bottom to stick up. Squeeze your glutes and abdominal muscles to engage your core and ensure a straight spine. Your head should be held in a neutral position, looking at the ground. Be sure to breathe. Modify this position by performing the plank from your knee, or on an incline.
Try to hold the position for 30 seconds, and gradually increase your time as your ability improves.
By Jason Britton
Jason is a Lifeguard/Instructor at MacEwan University Sport and Wellness. He has over 20 years of swim and triathlon coaching experience and is the race director of SwimRun Edmonton.
