05/24/2026
PLANK POSE
Some people hate Plank Pose, and other people adore it. Most of us fall somewhere in between. We know it’s a challenging but accessible shape that’s beneficial for many reasons. It’s hard (you will sweat!) yet also satisfying (you’ll feel stronger!).
Plank is THE foundational arm balance. It works the entire body effectively in one static position. Hold this asana for 30 seconds a few times a day, and you will strengthen your abdominals, hands, wrists, arms, shoulders, back, core, glutes and legs. A great option is to use your knees (&feet) down while engaging your core and maintaining that flat as a board position in your torso. Um, that's why they call it a plank! Get it? Doing it correctly on the level you are currently on and you'll see progression faster. Eventually you'll be on those toes in no time.
You will also work on your mind. If you think you can do it, you can. If you think you can’t, your time won’t be as long. Talk about a workout for your brain! It takes a lot of mental focus and positive self-talk.
Just ask the world record holder for the longest Plank Pose ever completed. Josef Šálek from the Czech Republic, with a time of 9 hours, 38 minutes, and 47 seconds. That’s hard to imagine when one minute might be fairly challenging. Just keep at it.
Anytime spent in Plank will give you strength inside and out.This is one of my go to asanas for mental concentration and feeling empowered. I often use it as a transition asana because its alignment brings the body back into balance and it also helps with correct posture, as it strengthens & aligns the spine, core & back muscles. This is my favorite one to practice for developing strength & balance overall in the body. I usually include it in most of my teaching and my own practice, several times during a sequence and hold it for about five to seven breaths to really feel the heat from the whole body being active.
