Challenges
Try This Today
- Practice Side Plank pose — Watch Denise Austin demonstrate a side plank in the video above.
- Hold the pose for 30 seconds on each side.
- Breathe deeply while holding the pose.
- Adapt the pose to your level of fitness. For example, if you need help balancing, pose near a wall, or place a chair or block on the floor so you do not have to reach down as far. Yoga should not be painful, so back off a little on your stretch if it hurts.
- To build your yoga routine, add the Half Moon pose.
Why
Want to improve your strength and balance? Try the Side Plank yoga pose, a full-body strengthener. In a meta-analysis of 10 randomized, controlled trials, a combination of core, resistance and balance training effectively lowered the risk of falling in adults ages 60 to 95. That exercise combination was most effective in healthy older adults who trained more than five times per week for more than 32 weeks, according to the report published in 2021 in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
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