Greetings from sunny Paris, Maine where it finally feels like spring. Over the weekend I was able to get in my first real, hard outdoor effort on my road bike. But perhaps the bigger accomplishment was raking leaves for hours without any soreness afterwards. I have to attribute that to doing a lot of stretching as part of last week’s Ed Tech Fitness challenge. How was your weekend? What did you do for fun and exercise? Leave a comment and let me know.
Challenge of the Week
Those of you who made a copy of the calendar of May challenges may have already noticed that this week’s challenge is to do planks three ways every day. Planking is a fantastic way to strengthen your core muscles. I can’t say that they are my favorite exercise, but they are effective. To break up the monotony of doing planks, I alternate between doing them on both elbows and then on just one elbow. For an extra challenge, try alternating between all three positions before breaking.
Planking 101
Here’s a good demonstration of how to do planks in three ways. The video was produced by UW Medicine. I like it because it doesn’t have any of the filler of many demonstration videos made by personal trainers who are trying to promote a service nor does it feature the typical “look at my mid-riff” models.
Good luck! Have a great week!
Requisite disclaimer: I am not a medical professional or personal trainer. Please consult your physician or personal trainer if you have any questions about your ability to complete planking exercises.