Move of the week: the plank

This week's move will increase your core strength and abdominal muscles.

Corey Oliver of the UAE's Original Fitness Company demonstrates the fourth exercise in our eight-part weekly series. Do this prone hold/plank alone, incorporate it into your own fitness routine or watch this space over the next four weeks to create a comprehensive total body strength-building regime. Go to thenational.ae/bodyandsoul, where we will collect the workouts and post video demonstrations.

Assume a prone position, parallel to the floor.

Place your elbows on the floor underneath your chest and with your feet supporting the lower half of your body, raise yourself up. Make sure your shoulders are in line with your hips, your back is flat and your whole body is parallel to the floor.

Hold this position for 30 seconds before returning to the starting position.

Tips to remember:

Make sure that your hips and back don't sag – keep them in line with your shoulders.

Benefits:

This exercise will increase the strength in your core and abdominal muscles.

Reps/ Sets:

Four sets of 30 to 45 seconds, then rest 30 seconds between each set.