Are you scared of push-ups and planks? Don’t worry — fitness gurus Brooke Burke and Ramona Braganza are here to rid you of that innate fear once and for all. In an exclusive interview with Health Digest, Burke and Braganza named push-ups and planks as the most underrated exercises for women. According to Very Well Fit, proper push-ups are defined as getting on all fours, placing your hands wider than your shoulders, and making sure that your feet are hip-length apart before lowering your chest to the floor and back up.
This action caters to your abdominal muscles and internal and external obliques. Planks — a varied move based on skill level — don’t require the raising and lowering; they are performed when you are holding your body weight off of the ground for a certain period of time (just make sure your backside doesn’t rise too high!). Burke explained that this exercise allows you to “develop core strength; it’ll pick up your metabolism.” But why are these exercises so crucial, and how do they further affect your overall health as a woman? Burke and Braganza were happy to clarify.
Push-ups and planks improve your confidence and change your body
“I was a gymnast for many years competitively and have a lot of upper body strength, but I have to maintain it too,” celebrity fitness trainer Ramona Braganza said of push-ups. “But that is your functional move number one,” she continued. “Other than the physical benefits, it actually makes you feel more confident, more powerful, and more able to do things in life.”
“Dancing with the Stars” winner Brooke Burke agreed with this sentiment while praising how much planks actually do for your overall health. “I have learned to love planks this past year. In the same light as the push-up, planks will change your body,” she said. As with any workout or challenge, “This concept, this sense of accomplishment, is what gives us strength to come back and try it,” Burke elaborated. Along with the mental aspect of the exercise, planks actually help fight back pain as your core strengthens, while shaping your arms, shoulders, and glutes.
In addition to telling us about these two moves, Burke and Braganza also discussed their partnership with Tru Niagen to promote NAD+ supplements (a chemical compound that aids energy metabolism), because — let’s face it — we are definitely going to need some extra energy to roll out our yoga mat and do a 30-second plank every day.
To learn more about Tru Niagen’s NAD+ supplements and other products, visit their website. Keep up with Ramona Braganza’s latest projects on her Instagram page. Check out Brooke Burke’s website to access her workout offerings.
