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A fitness expert has unveiled the plank endurance standard that distinguishes robust cores from weaker ones, particularly for those over 60.
Developing a sturdy core is crucial for effortlessly carrying out daily activities and engaging in various hobbies. Incorporating effective exercises, such as planks, into your routine is a proven way to build and maintain core strength. Planks target key core muscles, including the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and obliques, and offer numerous variations. However, if enhancing core strength is your primary goal, sticking to traditional planks will suffice. We consulted Chad Lipka, a Wellness and Fitness Expert and President of North Shore Sauna, who provides insights on how long individuals over 60 should hold a plank to demonstrate exceptional core strength.
As you enter your 50s and 60s, maintaining core strength becomes increasingly vital, serving as the backbone for spinal stability, balance, and power transfer in everyday life. This is crucial for tasks ranging from carrying heavy groceries to navigating uneven surfaces.
Why Core Strength Is Essential After 60
According to Harvard Health Publishing, core muscles function as a stable “central link in a chain,” connecting the lower and upper body. Whether you’re enjoying a game of pickleball or simply vacuuming, these actions are either initiated by or pass through the core. A strong core facilitates bending, twisting, and standing, reduces lower back pain, and encourages good posture.
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.
How Long To Hold Planks for After 60
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.
Why Planks Are a Beneficial Exercise To Master
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 (meaning all the muscles and joints involved in performing tasks) 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.
Changes Associated With Age
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.”