The WELLthy Mom Plank Exercise is a great exercise for strengthening your deep inner core and that’s important because those muscles support and control your spine and pelvis—the foundation of basically everything you do and including in your workout routine has benefits beyond that forever plank hold.

The WELLthy Mom Plank Exercise is one exercise Hubby encourages our whole family to do on a regular basis because plank exercise help build strength without straining your spine. In fact, according to the American Council on Exercise performing planks regularly reduces back by strengthening the muscles around it, which provide more support for your back.

The WELLthy Mom Plank Exercise is effective because it targets the core as a whole and engages multiple additional muscle groups. It also can be performed anywhere without additional equipment, and is modifiable to varying fitness levels. Before jumping into variations, however, it is important to get the basics down.

How To Plank

Once you have mastered the basic plank, give these five variations a try. For each exercise, aim to complete a set number of repetitions or perform the exercise for a set amount of time. When performed consistently, these exercises will help you create a stronger, more stable core.

Variation 1: Alternating Hip Touches

This variation targets the oblique muscles. Begin in the standard plank position and then rotate the hips to one side, aiming to touch the floor. Next, rotate the hips to the opposite side and touch the floor.

Variation 2: Up Downs

This exercise gets the heart rate up. Begin in the standard plank position on a mat. Come up onto the right hand and the left hand, and then return down to the right forearm and then the left forearm. Repeat.

Variation 3: Hip Raises

Being in the standard plank position and then elevate the hips, making an inverted V or a triangle. Keep the muscles engaged. Once the hips are at the highest point, lower back down to the standard plank position.

Variation 4: Knee to Elbow

Begin in a high plank. Bring the left knee across the body to try and touch the right elbow. Return to the starting position and then bring the right knee to touch the left elbow. Aim to keep all muscle groups engaged. Continue to alternate left and right.

Variation 5: Side Plank

Assume a side plank position on the right forearm and the right foot (you can stack the left foot on top of the right or position it slightly behind the right foot to help with balance). Aim to have the body in a straight line from shoulder to ankles. For an additional challenge, lower the hips to the floor and then lift the hips back up to the beginning position. Complete the same movements on the left side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The WELLthy Mom Plank Exercise is the most effective, simplest core exercise you can ever do and what is even better is that the WELLthy Mom Plank Exercise doesn’t take much time at all. In fact you should probably only spend about ten minutes max per day doing planks. Our whole family likes to challenge each other to see who can hold a plank longer and that’s a WELLthy competition, we can all benefit from!