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Journalism of Courage
Time and again, Samantha Ruth Prabhu has left her fans, colleagues, and followers truly impressed with her never give up attitude. The same was visible recently when she shared a glimpse of her holding a plank pose, albeit with a slight modification, after what seems to be a long hiatus.
For the unversed, the Yashoda actor has been working hard towards recovering from myositis, an auto-immune condition that presents with symptoms like muscle pain, soreness, fatigue, trouble swallowing, and difficulty in breathing.
Take a look at the post shared by Samantha on her Instagram profile.
As expected, her update was flooded with appreciative comments from her friends in the industry. Actor Rakul Preet Singh commented, “strong girl”, while actor Shriya Saran wrote, “Super cool”.
Her trainer Junaid Shaikh, too, reacted on his Instagram Stories. “Jab tak todenge nahi, Tab tak chodenge nahi” (Will keep striving until the very last), he wrote.
However, Samantha‘s post also drew a few remarks for not sticking to proper form as one user wrote, “From the hip below, the knees and toes need to be straight and flexed! Let the knees not drop down :)”, while another remarked, “pose theek nhi aa raha (pose is not correct)”.
According to Varun Rattan, co-founder, The Body Science Academy, Noida, a plank — an isometric exercise that maintains the length of the muscles — challenges the low back and deep core muscles, building both control and endurance of these muscles. “The best part about planking is that it can be done anywhere without any equipment,” he said, adding that “planks can be regressed to meet an individual’s current level by performing them on their knees instead of their feet”.
He added that unlike crunches, planks use neutral spine loading, which is pertinent for individuals who are recovering from bone/joint issues like weakened intervertebral discs. “Repeated spinal flexion in crunches can potentially herniate or bulge the disc. For those who are starting to exercise again after, say a back injury, planks can be a helpful starting point,” Rattan told indianexpress.com.
To perform a plank, just follow these two easy steps
*Lie face down with your feet together and forearms on the ground. Keep the elbows below your shoulders. Tighten your abs and glutes by drawing in the belly button and squeezing the gluteal muscles.
*Lift your body off the ground and keep it in a straight line from your head to your feet.
What to keep in mind when performing a plank?
Many people think it’s just about getting your hips off the ground. However, this oversimplified approach often leads to sacrificing form in order to stay off the floor at all costs which results in an over arched lower back, raised hips, drooping neck, or slouched shoulders, all in an attempt to avoid touching the ground. “It’s important to pay attention to your form and avoid these mistakes to ensure a quality plank,” mentioned Rattan.
He also suggested that once one is able to hold a plank for two minutes with proper form, it is time to “explore more challenging variations of the exercise to continue to see results”.
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