Side Plank: (Vasisthasana)

Name: Side Plank

Sanskrit: Vasisthasana

Pronunciation: Vah-sish-TAHS-anna

Pose Level: Intermediate

Step-by-Step:

·       The most performed form of the side plank is performed by positioning on one side, with the elbow and forearm resting on the ground / mat, lower limbs extended and feet together, with the pelvis raised from the ground in line with the head, shoulders and spine. reached this position and alignment, try to always maintain it with the correct technique.

·       Here are some tricks to perform the side plank in the best possible way:

·           position yourself on the ground on one side with the elbow and forearm supported, forming an angle of 90 degrees;

·           elbow must be under the corresponding shoulder;

·           legs extended and feet together or with the foot opposite the elbow resting in front of the contralateral;

·           head, shoulders, spine and pelvis in complete alignment;

·           lift the pelvis by starting the movement from the elbow and feet and use force to prevent torso and pelvis tilts by contracting the buttock muscles, oblique abdominals and square of the loins;

·           maintain the position.

·       In any case, it is not important how long we hold the position but it is much more useful to focus on adequate muscle engagement.

Anatomy:

·       Core, Upper body

Pose Modifications

A simpler execution to perform, especially for beginners but also for those with specific pathologies, is the facilitated version, which provides for the support of the elbow and radio-ulnar joint on a rise such as a step, a bench or other.

It is also particularly effective to place the knee or both on the ground, as a prerequisite for the next steps.

To increase the level of difficulty of the exercise, instead of stabilizing with the elbow, we can extend the lever arm and lean on the palm of the hand while still keeping it under the shoulder to protect it together with the neck.

Another very popular execution in gyms is the one represented by the side plank "in motion" or starting from the original position, instead of remaining in isometry, we let the hip fall towards the ground before lifting it again until it reaches the starting point. important in this variant is in the descent phase not to rotate the chest, therefore maintaining more and more the stability of the trunk and not losing tension when we touch the ground. Before moving on to this exercise, we recommend a good execution technique on the isometric side plank.

The "advanced" yogis can also add rotation ... that is always from the initial position, with the hand not in support, you try to stretch it down towards the ground, making it pass under your body, in this case it is also necessary to rotate both the trunk and feet as if we were to reach the front plank, then return to the side plank and repeat more times.

Contraindications:

Those with wrist, elbow, and shoulder problems should avoid this pose.

Poses Commonly Transitioned too:

One legged side plank

Poses Commonly Used Before Hand:

Plank