The skinny on planks

 *Me planking a random tunnel on the top of KoKo Head*

Awhile back I feel as though there was a sort of planking "fad" that was going on which I am happy to admit I took part in. I'm not sure when it began or when it ended (if it even has?) but I found myself immersed in this planking world around the time I went to Hawaii in June of 2011. I was there to be a part of one of my best friends Nicole's wedding :)

I spent about seven days in Oahu/Waikiki and I have to say I think I planked almost everything that was seemingly plankable (not sure that's a real word but today it is). Everyone in our group became a part of it, all while trying to one-up each other trying to find the most difficult places to plank and capture them in pictures. For me the one that takes the cake is after I finished the Koko Head hike. I was so proud of myself I ran to a nearby fire hydrant and planked it. It immediately dug into my ribcage and almost took my breath away the pain was so bad. Thank God my friend Amanda was there to snap the shot before I flipped forward head first into the gutter. 

 

The best part of all of this (I promise there is a point) is that planking has become a huge part of my daily life and not in the way in which I have just described. Planks are one of the best things you can do for your body because they work ALL of the muscles in your core. They hurt like hell, every second feels like an hour, the burning sensation is off the charts, but damn do they work. They've incorporated planks into pretty much every barre, Pilates and even yoga class I've taken which shows you the extent of its influence and its legitimacy. What's even better is you can do them anywhere! I was on a kick for awhile last year and was doing about 4 or 5 a day for a minute each and ay caramba do they work. Click here for a crazy 10 minute plank workout in addition to some more added benefits.

Happy Planking!!