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Building a strong, resilient core is essential for performing daily tasks and hobbies with ease. There are many productive exercises you can add to your workouts to build and maintain core strength—with planks being one of the most common.
Planks train your core muscles—including the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and obliques—and there are plenty of variations to choose from. That said, if your goal is to focus on core strength, classic planks can get the job done. We spoke with Chad Lipka, Wellness and Fitness Expert and President of North Shore Sauna, who shares how long you should hold a plank after 60 to prove your core strength is top-notch.Once you hit your 50s and 60s, core strength becomes more essential than ever before, as it serves as the foundation for spinal stability, balance, and daily power transfer, from picking up heavy grocery bags to walking uneven terrain. According to Harvard Health Publishing, the core muscles can be compared to a stable 'central link in a chain' that connects your lower body to your upper body. Whether you're playing a match of pickleball with friends or vacuuming the floors in your home, these motions either come from or move through the core. A strong core helps you bend down to pick something up, twist, and stand. It also helps alleviate lower back pain while promoting solid posture.If you're looking for a solid plank hold benchmark, Lipka suggests aiming for 45 to 60 seconds.'In my own training with senior veteran fellow friends over the years, I've found that adults who can maintain a clean, controlled plank for 45 to 60 seconds tend to move better, have fewer back flare-ups and bounce back more quickly from minor strains,' Lipka tells us.According to Lipka, you can rely on planks because they lay everything out on the table at the same time—activation of the deep abs, shoulder stability, glute engagement, and loading through a position where you're unable to 'cheat.' 'When someone older than age 50 can do an impressive plank, it shows me that their kinetic chain is cooperating, with less side-to-side wobbling at the waist and hips, less sagging of the shoulder girdle, more integrity through the spine,' Lipka adds.As you age, your body endures many changes. In addition to the loss of lean muscle mass and strength, the deep stabilizing muscles may lose endurance. 'Some people maintain it easier just because they stick with a few small habits: Walking in an upright posture, doing resistance training regularly, adding five minutes of core work to the end of their regular workouts,' Lipka notes. 'When people over 50 try a plank, the most common deficiencies I find are hips dipping because the glutes aren't engaging and taking over; shoulders shaking from lack of serratus engagement; and breath-holding, which is just sabotaging stability.'
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