Here’s the right way to do plank pose. (Hint: It’s harder than it looks!)

Plank pose seems so basic, right? You just balance on your hands and toes in one straight line… But actually, plank pose is a very important foundational pose in yoga, and it offers a ton of benefits!

Plank strengthens your entire body from head to toe, and also stretches some important areas that are often overlooked, such as your wrists. Plank helps to prepare you for more advanced yoga poses, and many yoga trainers suggest you don’t even try many others until you have mastered Plank pose.

Simple as it is, plank can be a lot more challenging than it looks! And doing it right is important for achieving all of the benefits this pose can provide.

Here are a few tips from Yoga.com on how to do Plank pose correctly (see the original post for more tips plus illustration):

How to do a Plank Pose

1. Start with a Table Pose.
2. Align your wrists to be right under your shoulders, palms and fingers pressed into the floor, middle fingers parallel to each other.
3. Pay attention to your neck here. It shouldn’t be scrunched up. Don’t hunch your shoulders, instead pull them away from ears.
4. Move your thighs backward and straighten your legs. Your heels should be right over the balls of the feet.
5. Now your neck, spine, and legs should form one line (a mirror will help at the beginning). Don’t drop your belly, chest, or legs. Instead, draw your abdomen towards your spine, and keep the body strong.
6. Stay in the pose for a few breaths. You may later increase the time in the pose to a minute or even more. As you are in plank pose, try to push the mat away — this will help to fully engage your arms.
7. Rest in Child pose