We all have that friend who can supposedly hold an iron for 15 minutes. Although none of us have stayed long enough to really see this amazing amount of time, it's pretty safe to assume that the technique is probably not perfect, especially when the time is getting higher.
Whether you hold a long, crazy plank or practice the movement for 30 seconds at a time, the exercise doesn't make sense if you're not doing it correctly.
Avoid these 5 most common ironing mistakes
You're arching your back
One of the most common table mistakes is arching your lower back. As your core begins to tire, it is common to let your midsection sink to the ground, causing your back to become misaligned.
Although this error does not always cause immediate injury, it causes stress on the lower back , which, over time, causes pain or tenderness in the lower back. Plus, let the lumbar arch take away the core strengthening benefits of exercise, too. This is because your abs are no longer working to support your body, which ultimately stops your progress.
To avoid this, insert the pelvis to keep the back straight. Consider drawing the navel on the spine and tilting the hips toward the chest to prevent the lower back from falling off.
You look up
Looking into a mirror or watch during your iron can help you review your technique or keep you on track, but it can also wreak havoc on your posture. The key to a board lies in keeping the entire body in a straight line from the head to the hips and heels.
Looking at a clock or mirror on the wall will misalign your body. And holding your head in this position even for a few boards a week can cause neck pain and strain on your upper back muscles.
Avoid this mistake by keeping your long neck and eyes in your hands (on the forearm plate) or down in front of you (on the high board). This will help prevent the neck from cracking and hardening the muscles.
Raise or lower your hips
For about 45 seconds on a minute-long plank, you may be tempted to raise your hips to the ceiling or sink them to the floor to let your abs rest. You may even be doing it without realizing it!
Bringing your hips up to the ceiling will take the emphasis off your core and load it more on your shoulders, making it a different exercise. To get the most out of a board for your core, you'll want to keep your hips in a straight line with your body, with your pelvis tucked underneath.
The forearm plank is a full-body exercise that includes the legs and glutes. To prevent your hips from going to the ceiling or sinking to the ground, contract your quads and squeeze your glutes . This will help level your hips and compromise your core.
Shrug
As the plates lengthen over time and your body begins to shake (wait, you're almost there!), You may notice that your breathing becomes irregular. This is the perfect time for a posture check: Are you with your shoulders hunched around your ears?
If the answer is yes, you are making another table error on your forearms. Shrugging your shoulders upward can strain your upper back muscles and tense your neck against tension. Also, the grouped shoulders make it more difficult to maintain a uniform breathing pattern , which is necessary for any exercise.
Keep your shoulders down and back as you do this isometric exercise. As your breathing becomes more difficult, perform a quick scan of your body and check that your shoulders are in the right place.
You make plates too long in time
It's no surprise that the challenges of tummy tucks are one thing on social media. Most of them require you to stay off the ground on a board for longer and longer increments week after week. But when it comes to proper ironing practice, that philosophy totally misses the point.
Holding a board for minutes without stopping inevitably causes fatigue and is sure to cause a collapse of the technique. And doing any exercise with poor posture is pointless. If you can really hold an iron for several minutes at a time in good shape, exercise is probably too easy for you.
Planks are a great fundamental move that can help you develop beginner-level core stability. But they keep the muscles in a contracted position and actually burn fewer calories than movement-based exercises . Instead of holding on for several minutes at a time, continue with the more challenging core exercises.
