Many office workers, spend the whole day in a chair staring at a monitor – I do that, as an IT person everything I do require me to sit at a desk and enter information into a computer watching a screen. Sitting all day is not smart, I think humans need to move more.
Nowadays there are office consultants that come to your workplace and look at how you work, one option they mention often that I heard is we should stand to work. I also heard the term “Sitting Is the New Smoking”.
For us that have to sit, there are few things we could do to sit right and have posture, for me the key to sitting right is to have a strong core.
You may wonder what I mean with a strong core, the core is the muscles that work as the stabilizers for the entire body. The core is your midsection and it involves all your muscles in that area including the front, back and sides.
To strengthen your core makes sure that we continue being strong and enduring to cope with all the forces placed upon us by working in an office.
The 30-Day plank challenge is an event to help all the office workers to train one of the body’s most important areas. Having a solid core isn’t just about strength in the most important place in your body, either. A well-worked
Having a strong core helps you with many other activities, like running, biking, surfing, yoga, etc. It also can protect you against injury, prevent back pain and improve posture. There are so many reasons why a solid, healthy core is a pivotal element of health. There are many, reasons why a solid, healthy core is a pivotal element of health.
How to you get started to achieving a healthy, solid core?
The best exercise to start strengthening your core is the plank. The plank is easily one of the most effective core-strengthening exercises out there. Unlike crunches or situps, the plank engages all of the muscles in your midsection, including the obliques. It also works your shoulders and calves!
Like any habit, integrating the plank into your workout can be tough. The key is repetition, and without a program that can be difficult to do.
For you to get started, I have put together a simple 30-day challenge that will help you become a planking master.
You’ll start from just fifteen seconds per-set and work your way up to three minutes by the end of the 30 days.
The key to this challenge is to focus on your form. Keep your body in a straight line, from heels to shoulder. Some common errors are sagging hips and hunched shoulders. Hips should be held up and your glutes clenched (to provide a base), and your shoulders should be directly over your wrists.
Follow this plan for 30 days and you’ll be a plank master in no time.
30-Day Challenge
| Day 1-2 | Day 3-4 | Day 5-6 | Day 7-14 | Day 15-18 |
| 6 sets, 15 seconds on, 30 seconds rest. | 6 sets, 20 seconds on, 40 seconds rest. | 6 sets, 25 seconds on, 50 seconds rest. | 6 sets, 30 seconds on, 60 seconds rest. | 5 sets, 40 seconds on, 60 seconds rest. |
| Day 19-20 | Day 21-22 | Day 23-25 | Day 26-28 | Day 29 | Day 30 |
| 4 sets, 50 seconds on, 60 seconds rest. | 3 sets, 60 seconds on, 60 seconds rest. | 3 sets, 90 seconds on, 90 seconds rest. | 3 sets, 120 seconds on, 120 seconds rest. | 3 sets, 150 seconds on, 150 seconds rest. | 3 sets, 180 seconds on, 180 seconds rest. |
If you take upon the challenge, comment below and let me know how you did.
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