How Many Calories Does Planking Burn

Planking is one of the most well-known core-strengthening exercises. Though it may look simple, holding your body in a straight, rigid position takes significant muscular control and endurance. While it’s not known for high calorie burn compared to dynamic movements, planking still contributes to your overall energy expenditure, especially when combined with other training.

Calories Burned from Planking by Weight and Duration

The number of calories burned during planking depends on your body weight, muscle engagement, and how long you hold the position. On average, a person weighing 70kg (about 11 stone) burns around 2 to 5 calories per minute while holding a plank.

That means a 1-minute plank burns approximately 3 to 4 calories. Holding a plank for 5 minutes could burn between 15 and 25 calories. A person weighing 90kg (about 14 stone) might burn closer to 5 to 6 calories per minute, while someone lighter than 60kg would burn slightly less.

While the raw numbers are modest, planking’s value lies more in core development and stability than in direct calorie burning.

Nutritional Breakdown of the Activity

Planking is an isometric exercise, meaning your muscles contract without changing length. While calorie expenditure is relatively low during static holds, your core, shoulders, arms and legs remain under constant tension forcing your body to work hard to maintain alignment and balance.

Unlike cardio exercises, planking doesn’t raise your heart rate dramatically, but it engages your deep stabilising muscles and contributes to a stronger foundation for all physical activity. This muscle engagement raises your resting metabolic rate slightly over time as lean muscle mass increases.

Health Benefits of Planking

Planking builds serious core strength, targeting the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, obliques, and lower back. It also engages your glutes, shoulders and quadriceps to maintain posture, making it one of the most effective full-body static exercises.

Consistent planking improves posture, balance and functional strength. It helps prevent back pain by strengthening the muscles that stabilise your spine. It also enhances performance in other movements, from lifting and running to yoga and swimming.

Mentally, planking requires focus and endurance, contributing to improved mind–body connection and mental resilience.

Downsides of Planking

While beneficial, planking has limitations. It’s not an efficient calorie-burning activity and won’t contribute much to fat loss on its own. Beginners may struggle to hold the position with proper form, which can put strain on the lower back or shoulders if alignment is off.

Overuse or holding planks for extended periods without progression or variation may lead to diminishing returns. Without incorporating movement or intensity changes, the body adapts and the effectiveness plateaus. It’s also less suitable for people with wrist or shoulder injuries unless modified.

Impact on Your Diet

In terms of diet and weight loss, planking plays a supporting role rather than a leading one. Burning 3 to 5 calories per minute means you’d need hours of static planking to burn even a modest snack. That said, building core strength through planking can improve your overall athletic performance, helping you get more out of dynamic workouts that do burn more calories.

By strengthening muscles and improving posture, planking contributes to better movement efficiency, which indirectly supports a healthy metabolism and physical sustainability in the long run.

Glycaemic Index (GI) Impact

Planking, like all exercise, doesn’t have a glycaemic index itself. However, it has indirect benefits on blood sugar regulation. Strength training exercises like planking improve muscle insulin sensitivity, meaning your body can process glucose more effectively. While a 60-second plank won’t make a huge impact alone, regular core training as part of a fitness routine supports better blood sugar control.

This makes planking a useful tool for those managing type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, or metabolic health, particularly when included in a balanced programme alongside aerobic activity and low-GI foods.

How Planking Is Done and What It Involves

The standard forearm plank involves resting on your forearms and toes with your body held in a straight line from head to heels. The entire body must remain tight core braced, glutes engaged, and shoulders stacked directly over the elbows.

Variations like side planks, plank with leg lifts, or high planks (on hands instead of elbows) increase difficulty and muscle engagement. The position requires significant concentration and physical control, which is why it’s often used in yoga, Pilates, and core conditioning classes.

It’s a deceptively demanding move, particularly when held for long durations with strict form.

A Healthier or Higher-Burn Alternative if Needed

If you’re looking for exercises with higher calorie burn but still want to target the core, consider mountain climbers, burpees, or plank jacks. These dynamic variations combine the muscle engagement of a plank with cardiovascular movement, significantly increasing calorie expenditure.

For those with joint concerns, dead bugs, bird-dogs, or floor-based Pilates exercises offer lower-impact options while still building core strength.

Summary

Planking burns between 2 and 6 calories per minute, depending on your weight and effort. While the calorie burn is relatively low, planks are incredibly effective for building core strength, improving posture and enhancing total-body stability. They support better performance in higher-calorie workouts and contribute to long-term muscular endurance. Though not a fat-burning powerhouse on their own, planks are a solid staple in any well-rounded fitness plan.