There's no doubt about it: the humble plank is an elite full-body move. It might look easy, but maintaining a perfectly executed plank hold for any length of time earns you legitimate bragging rights, IMHO.
The kudos are warranted, too. Love them or hate them, research (like this 2023 study, published in the Journal of Exerecise Rehabilitation) shows that planks are effective at improving both physical fitness and respiratory capacity (no mean feat for a static exercise) and might benefit immunity in older adults, while it's long been established that they're excellent for developing both strength and endurance, as shown in this 2021 study from the journal Medicina.
