Plank Face |top|

Press the tip of your tongue gently against the roof of your mouth, just behind your front teeth. This naturally relaxes the jaw and prevents clenching. Do it before you even set up your plank.

Exhale audibly (like a soft “haaaa”) through your mouth during the hardest part of the hold. You literally cannot clench your teeth and make that sound at the same time. plank face

Think about making a "double chin" rather than letting your head sag. This keeps your spine in a perfect straight line from head to heels. Press the tip of your tongue gently against

A light, relaxed smile — not a grimace — signals safety to your nervous system. It keeps the parasympathetic nervous system engaged, which helps you breathe and brace without locking up your face. Exhale audibly (like a soft “haaaa”) through your

Your face has over 40 muscles. When you clench your jaw and scrunch your brow, you’re diverting neural drive and energy away from your core. Your body can only recruit so many motor units at once — why waste them on your masseter when you need your rectus abdominis?

Plank face is the involuntary grimacing, jaw-clenching, and brow-furrowing that occurs during a core stability hold. When the body undergoes intense physical stress, the nervous system often triggers a "radiation" effect. As your primary movers (the abs and glutes) fatigue, the tension begins to bleed into secondary areas—like your neck, jaw, and facial muscles. The Anatomy of the Grimace