A robust core is fundamental to nearly every movement, from lifting a package to enjoying a game of pickleball. Weak core muscles can hinder the performance of your arms and legs, while a strong core enhances balance and reduces the risk of falls and injuries as you age. However, did you know there’s a straightforward exercise that can effectively gauge your core strength? Let us introduce you to the plank, the move you need to master.

“After reaching 50, maintaining core strength is crucial for ensuring stability, good posture, and avoiding injuries,” explains Karen Ann Canham, the CEO and founder of Karen Ann Wellness. “As we age, there’s a natural decline in muscle mass and joint support, but a strong core acts as a safeguard for the spine, enhances balance, and makes daily tasks like walking, lifting, and standing much safer and more manageable.”

To preserve or enhance your core strength, incorporating planks into your routine is highly effective. Planks not only help in sculpting a toned midsection, but they also offer significant benefits like spinal protection, injury prevention during workouts, improved posture, and a boost in mood as you track your progress.

What Makes Planks a True Test of Core Strength

While the plank is an excellent exercise for working out your core, its benefits extend beyond that.

The plank gives your core an excellent workout—but that’s not all.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

“[It’s] one of the most reliable tests of true core strength because it engages the entire body—not just the abs. It’s an isometric hold, meaning you maintain tension without movement, which trains the deep stabilizing muscles we rely on for functional strength,” Canham explains. “Unlike crunches or sit-ups, the plank activates the transverse abdominis, obliques, glutes, shoulder stabilizers, and lower back, along with the pelvic floor and diaphragm. This total-body engagement improves endurance and postural control better than most traditional ab exercises.”

Traditional ab exercises typically miss the deep stabilizing muscles, says Clif Marshall, senior director of coaching and pro training at D1 Training, but a plank gets the job done.

“It activates the transverse abdominis, multifidus, and pelvic floor, which are essential for spinal stability and functional strength,” Marshall explains. “Unlike crunches, which mainly hit the rectus abdominis (also known as the six-pack abs), planks train the body to brace as a unit, a far more practical skill for both athletic performance and everyday movement.”

Is Doing Planks Every Day Enough to Get Abs?

Holding This Simple Plank Reveals Elite Core Strength

A classic forearm plank serves as the “gold standard,” notes Marshall.

“For someone over 50, holding a proper plank for two minutes or longer demonstrates elite-level core endurance and control. However, quality matters more than duration,” says Marshall. “It’s better to hold a strong, stable plank for 60 seconds with perfect alignment than to compromise form chasing time. As strength builds, aim to gradually extend by 10-15 second increments.”

If You Can Master These 3 Bodyweight Movements After 60, You’re Stronger Than Most

How To Perform the Test:

1. Begin on your forearms and toes with elbows under your shoulders and body straight from head to heels.
2. Activate your core and squeeze your glutes.
3. Hold your forearm plank without allowing your hips to sag or rise.
4. To increase the challenge, perform alternating shoulder taps or incorporate slow toe lifts while holding form.

If you can hold this exercise for 90 seconds while keeping your breath steady and not allowing your hips to drop, this signals “peak functional core strength,” Marshall notes.