Planks are widely considered by fitness experts to be a fantastic exercise to strengthen the muscles in your core and elsewhere, no matter your age or physical fitness level.
There are numerous versions of the plank, but its basic form involves balancing on your toes and forearms while holding your body off the ground.
Finally, planks can help with a wide variety of issues outside of strength, posture and balance. For example, they have been found to help combat urinary incontinence, according to a December 2021 study published in the journal Healthcare. Your golf swing can also benefit from planking, concluded another study published in the June issue of The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.
How to ease into planking
Plank newbies should begin in a standing position, placing their hands on a wall or the edge of a countertop, Morrow said. Walk your feet backward until you’re leaning into the surface. Hold this position for 10 seconds, then repeat four times.
“The position is the first place to start,” Morrow said. “Next is how long to hold it. Once you work up to holding a wall plank for 30 seconds at a time, you can continue to increase the time or change your position.”
Changing positions might mean moving to a lower surface, such as the edge of your couch or a step, or to the floor. Once on the floor, you can do a plank on your knees and hands, or knees and forearms if you have wrist issues, Logue said.
“I also love the bird dog exercise as a way to get started,” she said. “Get on your hands and knees, then extend one arm forward and the opposite leg back. This gets you ready to do body-weight exercises and helps create core strength.”
No matter which position you begin with, planks require attention to form. You should always tighten your core muscles while planking, along with your glutes and quadriceps, the Morrow and Logue said. Your shoulders and hips shouldn’t be sagging, and your butt shouldn’t be sticking up in the air. When in doubt, consult an expert, such as a physical therapist or personal trainer.
Paying attention to your breath is also important.
“Many people hold their breath during planks, which can be dangerous,” Logue said. “Remember to think about your breathing.”
Variations you can try
Once you’ve got the hang of planking on the floor, consider adding some variations. There are many. Side planks involve balancing on one forearm with your feet stacked and your body sideways.
“Side planks work more of your side body and hip abductors,” Morrow said. “They’re good at strengthening your hips for good balance.”
To do mountain climbers, start in the push-up position. From there, you employ a marching motion, bringing your right knee to your right elbow, then left knee to left elbow. You can also bring your right knee to your left elbow, and vice versa, an exercise known as a cross-body mountain climber.
Climbing planks require you to start on your forearms, with toes on the ground, then “climb” up on your hands. From there, you keep alternating climbing down to your forearms with climbing up to your hands.
