Holding a plank for a minute can be a challenge for many. The plank is a foundational core strengthening exercise that has endless benefits, the main one being improving midline stability.
What if we told you there is someone out there that has a midline so stable she can hold a plank for four hours and 20 minutes?
Dana Glowacka did just this at the at the International Plank Marathon in Naperville, Illionois, and in doing so unofficially broke the Guinness World Record for the “Longest Female Abdominal Plank” with a whopping four hours and 20 minute hold. The official Guinness World Record for the “Longest Female Abdominal Plank” was set in 2015 by Maria Kalimera with a plank lasting three hours and 31 minutes.
Glowacka’s Instagram page is plank inspo if we’ve ever seen it. She’s pictured planking in diverse locations, and even including her dog in with the fun.
She has competed in a plank competition before, and finished second at the International World Cup Plank Challenge in Beijing in 2016 when she pulled off a plank of two hours and five minutes, so it’s no secret that her plank game has seriously taken off in the last three years.
Glowacka lives in Montreal, Canada where she has spent many years in the fitness and yoga world. She is a certified yoga instructor and decided to deepen her practice to help her become the plank master.
There are numerous benefits beyond just a strong core though, planks, when done correctly can strengthen glutes and quads, activate the rectus abdominus, improve posture (which also can relieve back pain), and increase balance.
So while Glowacka had clearly bought into the benefits of the plank, another reason for her commitment to holding the plank longer than any other woman, is her son, who told his mom that he thought she could break the record.
“I’m gonna make my son proud, sending a message to the world that everything is in the mindset and practice, practice, practice…” she wrote on her website before she unofficially broke the record. Congrats to her on her accomplishment.
Feature image from @dbg_plankdoyoga Instagram page.