Plank Pose

How to do Plank Pose

1. 1Start on all fours with your wrists stacked directly beneath your shoulders and your fingers spread evenly.
2. 2Step your feet back one at a time, bringing your legs straight and hip-width apart on the balls of your feet.
3. 3Press firmly through your palms and the pads of your fingers to slightly dome the upper back and engage your serratus anterior.
4. 4Firm your quadriceps and reach actively back through your heels as if pressing against a wall.
5. 5Draw your lower belly in and up, lightly lengthening your tailbone toward your heels to avoid sagging in the lumbar spine.
6. 6Lengthen the back of your neck by keeping your gaze softly focused a few inches ahead of your hands.
7. 7Hold the posture with steady alignment while breathing evenly through your nose.

Benefits

• Strengthens the deep core musculature, including the transverse abdominis.
• Builds endurance and stability in the shoulders, arms, and wrists.
• Tones and activates the quadriceps and hip flexors.
• Encourages healthy spinal alignment and full-body spatial awareness.
• Prepares the body for advanced arm balances and transitions like Chaturanga Dandasana.

Common mistakes and cues

• Sagging hips

  Lift your pelvis until it forms a level line between your shoulders and heels, engaging your lower abdominals to support the lower back.

• Piking the hips

  Lower your hips down to shoulder height rather than letting them float upward like a shortened Downward Dog.

• Collapsing the chest

  Press actively into your hands to broaden across the collarbones and fill the space between your shoulder blades.

• Craning the neck

  Keep your gaze angled slightly forward and downward so the cervical spine stays neutral rather than hyperextended.

Modifications and props

• Knees-down Plank

  Lower your knees to the mat behind your hips to decrease load on the core and shoulders while maintaining a straight line from head to knees.

• Forearm Plank

  Rest on your forearms with elbows stacked under shoulders to relieve pressure on sensitive or injured wrists.

• Hands on blocks

  Place your palms on two flat yoga blocks under your shoulders to reduce the angle of wrist extension.

• Wall Plank

  Stand facing a wall with hands flat at chest height and step your feet back into an incline to minimize weight-bearing intensity.

Cautions

• Carpal tunnel syndrome

  Avoid high plank or practice on your forearms or fists to eliminate harsh wrist compression.

• Shoulder injuries

  Shorten hold times and lower your knees to the floor if you feel sharp pain in the rotator cuff.

• High blood pressure

  Breathe continuously and avoid long isometric holds, as prolonged contraction can elevate arterial pressure.

If you are working with an injury, pregnancy or a medical condition, check with a qualified professional before practising this pose.

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