If You Can Hold a Plank This Long After 65, Your Core Stability Is Top-Tier

Core strength becomes increasingly important after 65 because your abdominal and back muscles help control nearly every movement you make. Getting out of bed, walking across an uneven sidewalk, lifting groceries, and recovering from a stumble all require your midsection to stabilize your body. As a trainer, I’ve found that many older adults judge their core strength by how many crunches they can perform, but endurance often matters far more than repetition count. A properly performed plank gives you a much better picture of how long your core can maintain tension while your body stays in a strong position.

The plank looks simple, but holding one requires your abdominal muscles, obliques, hips, shoulders, and lower back to work together continuously. The challenge doesn’t come from moving quickly or lifting heavy weight. Instead, your muscles must resist movement and keep your spine and pelvis properly aligned while fatigue gradually builds. That quality makes the plank an excellent functional test for adults over 65 wh...