Exercise

Plank

The foundation of a back-friendly core. A solid plank teaches your midsection to brace - the same brace that protects your spine when you scoop a sleeping kid off the couch. Two minutes of floor space is all it takes.

BeginnerNo equipment~3 min

Demonstration

Sets

3

Reps

30-45s hold

Rest

45-60s

How to do it

  1. 1

    Lie face down, then prop yourself on your forearms with elbows directly under your shoulders.

  2. 2

    Tuck your toes and lift your hips so your body forms a straight line from head to heels.

  3. 3

    Squeeze your glutes and pull your belly button lightly toward your spine.

  4. 4

    Push the floor away through your forearms so your upper back doesn't sag between the shoulder blades.

  5. 5

    Breathe steadily and hold - quality over duration.

Common mistakes

  • Letting the hips sag, which dumps stress into the lower back
  • Hiking the hips high to make it easier
  • Holding the breath instead of breathing through the brace
  • Grinding out long sloppy holds instead of shorter perfect ones

Dad tips

  • Three crisp 30-second holds beat one shaky 2-minute hold every time.

Same muscles, new angle

Dead Bug

It looks silly and works brilliantly. The dead bug trains your core to stay braced while your arms and legs move - exactly what happens when you're carrying, reaching, and bending all day. It's also one of the safest ab moves for a stiff lower back.

BeginnerNo equipment~3 min

Hanging Knee Raise

Hanging from a bar and raising your knees builds serious ab strength while decompressing your spine and toughening your grip as a bonus. It's the natural next step once planks and dead bugs feel easy.

IntermediatePull-up bar~4 min