Strengthen your core with dragon flag exercise

Workouts equivalent to leg raises, crunches and planks can all enhance your core power. When you do these repeatedly and need to problem your self then go for the dragon flag train. It’s believed that martial arts grasp and actor Bruce Lee carried out it as a part of his bodily coaching. It’s thought of a full-body exercise however is understood to significantly goal the core muscular tissues. It’s a demanding however efficient train that may enhance your core power, and supply flexibility. Nevertheless, rookies ought to carry out less complicated core workouts like crunches earlier than making an attempt this difficult transfer.

What’s the dragon flag train?

It’s a body weight train that focuses primarily on constructing the core muscular tissues. On this train, you lie in your again, along with your palms gripping onto a agency floor for assist. From there, you carry your whole physique off the ground, preserving it straight from the shoulders to the toes, like a flag on a pole.

“The problem is in preserving management as you decrease and lift your physique, all whereas partaking your core, glutes, and shoulders,” says physiotherapist and health professional Dr Aijaz Ashai. This motion requires a excessive degree of core stability and power, making it a complicated degree train for growing stomach and general physique management.

Muscle mass engaged whereas performing the dragon flag train

Core muscular tissues: The core is like an anatomical field consisting of a number of muscle teams which can be used on this train. In accordance with 2020 analysis, revealed within the Worldwide Journal Of Environmental Analysis And Public Well being, core muscular tissues embrace:

• Rectus abdominis (the abdominals)
• The inner and exterior obliques
• The erector spinae
• Lumbar multifidus
• Quadratus lumborum

Hip flexors: These muscular tissues are used to carry and decrease the legs.
Glutes and hamstrings: These muscular tissues assist to stabilise the decrease physique through the motion.
Shoulders and higher physique: The arms, chest, and shoulders are used as you grip the bench for stability and management.

6 advantages of dragon flag train

1 Strengthens your core

The most important benefit of the dragon flag train is its means to reinforce core power. “You develop a powerful, rounded core since you activate your stomach muscular tissues, obliques, and decrease again in each motion of the train,” says the professional.

2. Higher stability and steadiness

The dragon flag train is a superb exercise to enhance general physique stability. Whereas holding your physique in a straight line and reducing it slowly, your physique has to stabilise itself. To do that, you want steadiness and power. The improved stability carries nicely into different bodily actions and reduces the possibilities of harm from each day actions. The dragon flag train comes beneath core power coaching, which may enhance steadiness, as per a 2021 examine revealed within the Baltic Journal of Well being and Bodily Exercise.

3. Will increase flexibility

The dragon flag is a power train, nonetheless it might probably assist in enhancing flexibility, significantly within the decrease again and hamstrings. “As you progress your physique via the managed reducing and elevating motions, your backbone and leg muscular tissues get stretched, contributing to raised flexibility and mobility over time,” says Dr Ashai.

4. Engages your full physique

The dragon flag train is usually regarded as an efficient core exercise, nevertheless it works the complete physique. As you carry out this train, you interact your shoulders, chest, arms, glutes, and legs. The exercise on the complete muscle engagement helps to construct general muscle tone and power.

5. Improves psychological toughness

The dragon flag train is a demanding exercise that requires focus and psychological self-discipline. “Sustaining management of your physique through the train could be difficult, significantly whereas performing a number of repetitions,” says the professional. Over time, persistently working towards it might probably assist to construct psychological toughness.

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6. Could scale back again ache

Low again ache has turn out to be a standard drawback, significantly amongst those that work in entrance of their computer systems for lengthy hours. Throughout a examine, revealed within the Journal of Useful Morphology and Kinesiology in 2024, core power coaching was discovered to be simpler than basic train at decreasing low again ache.

The best way to carry out the dragon flag train?

• Discover a stable assist on which you’ll grasp with each your palms. It may be both a bench or horizontal bar.
• Lie flat on the ground in your again, along with your head and neck in a impartial place.
• Raise your legs off the bottom and swing them over your torso in a straight line whereas preserving your core engaged.
• Grasp the facet of the bench with each palms, holding you agency to start out from a secured level.
• Step by step increase your physique and make sure that your legs stay straight and, in line, to place your torso vertically, or instantly upwards out of your toes.
• Decrease down slowly whereas accountable for the motion.
• Attempt to do about 3 units of 10 to fifteen reps.

Who ought to keep away from doing the dragon flag train?

• Individuals who have backbone issues ought to keep away from doing the dragon flag train as it could trigger harm.
• The dragon flag is a complicated degree train that calls for a variety of core power. Learners shouldn’t attempt it with out first increase their power via different workouts.
• Pregnant ladies also needs to keep away from this train because it places a variety of strain on the stomach.

The dragon flag train can enhance core power, and improve flexibility. It’s a complicated motion that calls for appreciable power and management. So, assess your health degree first to forestall accidents.