Anne Hathaway has had a busy few years, making her a huge comeback in roles like The Devil Wears Prada 2, The Odyssey, and Verity, Coleen Hoover’s book adaptation due to be released in October. The 43-year-old is looking fit and healthy, with her third child on the way.<\/p>\n
Monique Eastwood is the personal trainer behind Anne Hathaway’s workouts<\/a> over the years. Her unique blend of Pilates, strength training<\/a>, and barre exercises comes from her background as a former professional dancer.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n While she has many go-to exercises, she told Women’s Fitness <\/a>there’s one move she never leaves out. “I love bodyweight moves like the plank, and you’ll always see one in my sessions. It’s a fantastic way to build core strength,” she says.<\/p>\n Monique, 59, knows how important it is for women to maintain flexibility and muscle mass with age to live healthily and independently for longer. \u201cWe all need to be able to hold our own body weight and get off the floor,\u201d she says. \u201cI focus on functional strength.\u201d That’s where the plank comes in.<\/p>\n What is the plank?<\/p>\n The plank<\/a> is an incredibly popular bodyweight exercise which can strengthen your core and improve your balance and stability. Some love it, others loathe it, but incorporating it into your exercise routine will bring many strength and mobility benefits, as well as helping prevent injury.<\/p>\n You may like<\/p>\n Here’s how to do a classic plank:<\/p>\n Start on all fours on a thick mat<\/a>, with your hands positioned directly under your shoulders and knees under your hips.Stretch your legs straight behind you. Keep your knees off the ground and your toes flat to the mat.Inhale and exhale slowly, while drawing your belly button in and squeezing your glutes.Keep your hips up to avoid any sagging in your lower back, and maintain a straight line from your head to your toes.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve never done a plank before or have any injuries, you can do a half plank on your knees, which won\u2019t put strain on your lower back. You can also do an elevated plank, with your hands resting on a bench if that\u2019s easier.<\/p>\n Variations on the plank include side planks<\/a>, plank rows with weights, plank with shoulder taps<\/a> and plank with hip dips.<\/p>\n