Plank Your Way to Health This Thanksgiving
The plank is cool now, folks — no more visions of pain and suffering during middle school gym class. The Boston Public Health Commission has found a way to make doing the plank fun, social and … gratifying?
To plank is to hold a sustained push-up while one’s lower forearms rest on the ground. It enjoyed a brief bout of Internet popularity a few years ago when “planking’’ became a trend. BPHC is hoping it’ll make a resurgence. Done properly, the plank strengthens abdominal muscles, which might be why it’s becoming a new holiday tradition — anything to keep the holiday bulge at bay.
As part of its wellness at work initiative, BPHC has been encouraging offices and individuals throughout the Boston area to participate in “Planksgiving,’’ where they plank and give thanks all month. About 200 people have registered to receive the challenge’s daily email, which contains the amount of time they need to plank in order to build toward sustaining their pose for two minutes; a gratitude challenge; and general wellness tips. Participants are encouraged to determine a plank length that works best for them, though Nicole Ferraro, Wellness Coordinator of Chronic Disease Prevention & Control Division at the BPHC, said some have already reached the five-minute mark.
The BPHC Human Resources department has taken Planksgiving to heart; its members send out daily photos chronicling their progress and plank innovation. Here’s today’s challenge:
Here’s today’s challenge for Planksgiving
“They research different kinds of planks they can do,’’ said Ferraro. “They have stacked on top of each other one day; they made a square the other day. They’ve had a lot of fun with it, and I think that’s built community in their office.’’
BPHC hopes Planksgiving will help people connect with each other, building fitness communities at the office or at home.
“[We want to make] it not just a one day, one time thing, but taking the whole month of November to focus on that gratitude and incorporating it into physical activity,’’ said Ferraro.
Since fitness should be a lifelong, daily routine, Ferraro hopes people will continue planking through December and beyond.
“[Planking] can show that if [people] work hard and consistently, they can reach fitness goals, they can improve their health,’’ Ferraro said. “They can feel better, and that it’s really powerful to do it with other people.’’
[fragment number=0]
[fragment number=1][fragment number=2]
[fragment number=3][fragment number=4]
[fragment number=5][fragment number=6]
[fragment number=7][fragment number=8]
Find yourself a spot on Grandma’s carpet and tone away that extra helping of turkey this Thanksgiving.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com