Side planks are usually not the favorite exercises in a workout. But if you do them, of course you want to do them well. Unfortunately, there are a number of common mistakes that can make this exercise a lot less effective and can even cause you injuries... Of course you don't want that!
Read also :'5 mistakes that make your plank ineffective'
As with a 'normal' plank, it is important that you do not let your hips sink to the floor. With plank exercises you can strengthen your core, but if you don't keep your hips up, you will notice the effect less.
The solution :With a side plank you target your oblique muscles. Focusing on those muscles on the side of your torso and actively lifting your hips will make the exercise much more effective. Sometimes it can also help to put a foam roller or a yoga block under your hips as an external motivation to keep your hips above them.
When you get tired during your side plank, you may lower your head or turn towards the ceiling. By no longer keeping your head and neck in line with your body, you can put unnecessary tension on your neck and irritate the surrounding muscles.
The solution :Think of your spine as a long length of rope from your tailbone to the tip of your head. The goal is to keep the rope taut, which requires you to keep your head and neck up. This can be a good motivation!
When you perform the side plank correctly, your feet are level and you balance on the outside of your bottom foot. Although much of your weight will be resting on this, you don't want to create too much pressure or you could end up with pain in your foot and ankle. But what exactly is too much pressure? If you feel your outside foot pressing into the ground or having trouble raising your bottom leg, you're probably putting too much weight on it.
The solution :Wear shoes when doing a side plank. Try pushing the sole of your bottom foot toward the floor so that the corner of your shoe pushes into the ground, rather than your foot itself.
As we said before, it is important to keep your body in a straight line. But if you get tired or start shaking, you can bend your lower back. This puts your back muscles under tension, which can eventually lead to complaints. Bending your back also ensures that the exercise no longer addresses your core properly, so that your abdominal muscles do less work.
The solution :Keep your ribs above your pelvis; try to pull your navel towards your spine. By keeping these ideas in your head, you can more easily keep your body in line.
Another common mistake is putting your elbow too far from your body while planking. Often people put their elbow too far from their body to be more balanced during the exercise. But this puts undue tension on your elbow and shoulder, causing you to rely on your arm for balance instead of your obliques.
The solution :Before you lift yourself into position, make sure to place your elbow directly under your shoulder. Pretend to push the ground away to engage your bigger and stronger shoulder muscles. Also try alternating between a side plank on your elbow and on your hand to avoid too much stress on one joint.
