As you exercise, you always want to make sure there’s some benefit to it. Whether it be toning up your body and building strength, losing weight, or simply having fun – you want to feel and see the difference with each exercise. At Sworkit we aim to highlight specific workouts that are enjoyable while helping you make a difference! Today we’re putting one of our favorite exercises in the spotlight: Inch Worms!
What Are Inch Worms?
Known for being an exercise rated on a medium level for difficulty, Inch Worms target five areas of your body and are perfect for beginners. This simple exercise targets your abs, triceps, lower back, shoulders, and upper back through moving into a plank position. While the impact level is fairly normal, it’s the perfect starting point for building yourself up. You’re able to build some fundamental muscle before jumping into the more difficult exercises that may leave you sore.
Learning Technique
Before you practice any exercise, make sure you complete a few stretches to loosen up muscles and ligaments to allow the smoothest workout. This will help prevent running into any hitches that come along, like tight hamstrings that may be sensitive if pushed without warming up. For this specific exercise, try some lower back stretches, standing hamstring stretches, and simply touching your toes. It goes a long way to help you progress when your body is loose and prepared for a little strain.
Now comes the fun part, the actual exercise!
Standing with your feet shoulder length apart and your arms straight by your sides, start by slowly bending down. You’ll want to do your best to keep your legs straight as you bend, helping stretch out those important hamstrings. Bend from the hips and as your hands touch the ground below your shoulders, begin walking or ‘crawling’ into a raised flat position.
Gradually rock onto your toes as your heels begin to raise off the ground, but try not to let your feet move forward or slide from their position. Tighten your core as you move and walk into a full plank position. You should find yourself with your hands in line with your shoulders. Keep this position for 5-10 seconds and then slowly walk yourself back into your starting position. To do so, you’ll lift your hips upwards and step your hands backward as if performing the original steps in reverse.
Repeat this exercise as many times as you feel comfortable doing. You’ll slowly start to feel that pressure on the five target areas we mentioned before. As they’re used, this will create friction to help strengthen those areas.
What Are the Benefits?
With an exercise comes a list of benefits. Of course, the muscles used will take the biggest impact, but there’s also more than physical benefits that follow. You’ll feel stronger physically, but also start to feel a sense of lightness mentally and emotionally. Exercise has been proven to influence how we feel about ourselves. So get ready to work on your abs while also using our highlighted exercise to encourage yourself. Feel proud of your hard work and watch your progress grow!
Eventually, your muscles will become stronger and those medium level beginner exercises will feel like a breeze. This will allow you to move towards more complex and challenging exercises. When that happens you can include things like Swipers or Two-Point Planks to take those Inch Worms to the next level.
When you’re ready to add on additional exercises and continue making yourself feel great while creating a healthy routine to keep your body strong, check out our library of exercises at Sworkit and reach out to us with any questions! We’ll help you create an exercise routine that fits your needs and makes you feel like your best self.
Stay tuned for more exercise spotlights!
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