Technique
Position yourself as you would if performing a pushup, but with arms bent and resting on the forearms, as shown. It is important to stabilize your body, tightening the core and making sure not to bend at the waist or allow excess arching/sagging of the low back. The point is to hold yourself in this rigid pose, making a straight line from head to heels.
Once in position, time yourself to get an idea of current strength, and try to improve on this amount gradually over time. A good goal is to work up to 60 seconds or longer.
Before and after, take time to very gently stretch by lying on your back and slowly pulling both knees toward the chest. Be sure not to overpull when stretching. The plank teaches the muscles how to contract effectively, and as a result, they may be tighter than expected. Overstretching a tight muscle can increase risk of injury.
A good starting point for beginners would be to try one or two repetitions if you are able to hold for 30 seconds or longer. If less than 30 seconds, lower your body when fully fatigued, rest briefly and repeat. A good challenge is to perform repetitions until you have reached a total time of 60 seconds. For example, a beginner might do six 10-second reps, four 15-second reps, three 20-second reps or two 30-second reps.
If you are unable to do a regular plank, bend the knees instead of keeping the legs straight. This will still provide a level of strength to the abdominal and low back muscles that will allow you to eventually perform a full plank.
The plank can also be performed with the arms straight instead of bent, provided that you do not have wrist issues. With all versions of the plank, be certain that the elbows remain directly beneath the shoulders.
The plank is an excellent exercise for improving posture, and is helpful for those looking to build strength for pushups.
Advanced options
Plank with leg lift: While in plank pose, slowly raise one leg several inches from the floor, hold for a second or two, and then slowly lower the leg. Switch legs and repeat.
One-arm plank: While in plank pose (arms bent), shift your body weight to one forearm, and extend the other arm straight out in front of you. Hold briefly before slowly bringing your arm back to starting position. Switch arms and repeat.
Reverse plank: Sit with legs extended in front of you. Place your hands on the floor slightly behind and outside of the hips. Slowly lift your hips, tighten the glutes and hold for as long as possible before slowly returning to starting position. As with all versions of the plank, your body should be in a straight line from your head to your heels. If you have bad wrists, perform the reverse plank with arms bent (forearms on floor).
Get medical clearance before attempting any new exercise, and stop exercising if you experience pain or unusual symptoms such as nausea or shortness of breath.
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