Written by Prerna Mittra |Updated : April 11, 2024 7:38 PM IST
There is no age or limit to fitness, one simply has to have the passion, dedication and drive to stay fit. Proving this, a 58-year-old woman set a record by doing a kind of core exercise that many find super difficult. The mother of five and grandmother of 12 broke the world record this year for the longest plank. According to a Guinness World Records announcement, one DonnaJean Wilde from Alberta, Canada set the new record for holding the longest plank for a female with 4 hours, 30 minutes and 11 seconds, on March 27.
As mentioned earlier, planks are exercises that are built to strengthen the core or abdominal muscles. They are also known as front holds, hovers, or abdominal bridges. There are many variations of this isometric core strength exercise that involves maintaining a position similar to a push-up and holding it. In order to do a plank properly, one must ensure their forearms and toes touch the ground at all times. They have to build a bride with their body and lift themselves off the ground, with the bulk of weight resting on their forearms. "The remainder of the body must be lifted off the ground and be kept straight throughout," Guinness stated.
View this post on Instagram
The Guinness announcement mentioned that DonnaJean's record was just over 10 minutes longer than the previous record set by fellow Canadian Dana Glowacka in 2019. DonnaJean achieved this remarkable feat at the high school where she formerly served as vice principal before retiring.
"My elbows hurt pretty bad," DonnaJean said after completing her record-breaking plank, according to Guinness. "I was so worried about losing my form, and I think that's why my quads hurt because I was just really tense," she added. The challenger also said she felt that the first two hours 'went by quickly', but the following two hours were 'much more difficult'.
"The last hour was the most challenging, just to stay focused and keep my form," she was quoted as saying. In the last 30 minutes, DonnaJean focused on 'breathing, staying calm, and not shaking', drawing motivation from her 12 grandchildren who had come to watch her.
Interestingly, while she managed to create a world record, DonnaJean suffers from chronic pain in her hands and arms. "That chronic pain and numbness that she deals with every day has helped her to be able to plank through the pain," her husband Randy was quoted as saying.
The challenger usually planks for 'up to three hours every day', and in preparation for this attempt, she 'upped it to six hours' (split into two three-hour blocks), Guinness revealed, adding: "She incorporated the exercise into her daily routine 12 years ago after breaking her wrist and finding herself unable to run or lift weights while wearing a cast."
DonnaJean said it feels "overwhelming" to have achieved this world record after 'over a decade of daily planking'. "I actually still can't believe it. It feels like a dream," she said.
"Keep trying and keep practising. When you have to read or work on your computer, just get on the floor and do it on the floor."
Don’t Miss Out on the Latest Updates.
Subscribe to Our Newsletter Today!
Refresh Page