11 Plank Exercises That Double as Cardio Moves
Planks are known for their core-crushing abilities. Holding one will make anyone's abs tremble after a while. But some plank variations have another not-so-obvious superpower: Any moving plank will get your heart rate pumping, letting you sneak some cardio into your abs workout.
"You can use planks as cardio by just adding movement," Crystal Fasano, health and wellness coach at Crystal Fit Wellness and personal trainer at New York Sports Clubs in Brooklyn, New York, tells SELF. While the below moves don't involve the same type of big, obvious heart-pumping motions that a run or a HIIT session does, the reason they work is because your whole body has to be fully engaged to maintain that plank while you also move.
"A plank is a total-body movement, so it’s not just challenging your core—you’re also working your glutes, shoulders, legs, and arms," Fasano says. "When you add in movement, you have to work harder to stabilize your hips, your core, and your glutes. Your heart rate’s going to come up just because your body has to work so hard to stabilize those major muscle groups," she explains.
Before you assume plank position, there are a few form tips you should keep in mind. "Think about sending your belly button toward your spine," Fasano says. Also, make sure you're squeezing your butt and quads. "That's something people don’t think about but it's super important. Engaging the butt and quads is going to help you tuck the pelvis under, which will prevent your hips from flying into the air. Once your hips come too high, you’re going to lose the core activation," Fasano explains. (Here's a visual of what we mean by tucking the pelvis.)
In a perfect plank, your ankles hips and shoulders should be in a straight line, but a modification if your lower back hurts at all is to raise your hips an inch or two as Fasano demonstrates in some of these moves. It'll take some of the pressure of your entire core, including your lower back, so you can avoid straining those muscles.
Here, Fasano demos 11 plank exercises that double as cardio moves.
Crystal Fasano is wearing Outdoor Voices Athena Crop ($50, outdoorvoices.com) and Outdoor Voices Spring Leggings ($95, outdoorvoices.com).