Core and stability exercise

Side plank from the knees

A shorter-lever side plank with your knees on the floor. It builds endurance in the muscles on the side of the trunk.

Also called: modified side plank, kneeling side plank

Type: Core and stability
Equipment: No equipment
Area: Lower back
Level: Intermediate
Starting dose in Remedy: 3 sets of 4 holds of 10 seconds per side

How to do it

Lie on your side with your elbow under your shoulder and your knees bent behind you.
Stack your hips and shoulders.
Lift your hips until your ear, shoulder, hip, and knee form a straight line.
Hold for about ten seconds, breathing normally, then lower.
Do your holds, then switch sides.

Form cues

Lift the hips so ear, shoulder, hip, and knee line up.
Don’t let the hips sag.

Common mistakes

Letting the top hip roll forward or back.
Shrugging the shoulder up toward the ear. Push the floor away.

Easier and harder versions

Easier: Bird dog exercise
Harder: Side plank

Why it helps a sore back

The side of the trunk keeps you upright when you carry something in one hand or walk on uneven ground. Starting from the knees lets you build that endurance before taking the full plank.

How Remedy uses it

In the app it is called Side Plank (Knees). Remedy is more likely to pick it if you say your back is bothered by standing or walking. A typical starting dose is 3 sets of 4 holds of 10 seconds per side, and the program adjusts reps as the weeks go on. Every exercise in the app has a demonstration video.

General fitness information, not medical advice. Stop any exercise that causes sharp pain, or pain, numbness, or tingling spreading down a leg.