My focus today is on a personal ritual that has the makings for a great New Year’s resolution, adopting a daily exercise routine. I can already hear some of you groaning, but hear me out. The benefits of daily exercise are not just physical; they are also mental and spiritual. In her How to Feel Better blog post of December 4, 2025, Catherine Sanderson touts the benefits of moving your body every day. “Exercise is one of the most effective strategies for combating a bad mood and boosting mental health.” Researchers studied data from more than 96,000 people and found that those who walk even 1,000 steps a day are less likely to experience symptoms of depression.
I admit to being somewhat obsessive about fitness. It’s just my nature to take everything I do to the limit. So when a fitness coach at Lake Austin Spa told me 20 years ago that I should start each day with a two-minute plank, I obliged. I’ve likely missed only a handful of morning planks since then. I roll out of bed and hit the floor. Laurie says it’s longer than two minutes, as I count to 120 very slowly. I follow it up with squats, push-ups, and stretches.
My friends and family tease me about my plank routine. I’ve even won some plank contests. So has my granddaughter Juliet. Our Dallas office used to do a 5:00 afternoon plank together, and when I joined in on the fun, they cajoled me about my non-stop chatter during it. Ed Copley joked that he did the plank lying on his back. To each, his own.
It occurred to me that there’s something actually spiritual about this morning habit. The plank is more than just core strengthening for me. There’s a meditative element to it that centers me. I face the coming day more at peace. I’m not suggesting it is a substitute for morning prayers, but there is some overlap. In Jewish tradition, my son-in-law Ira Savetsky starts each day with Shacharit prayers, donning his tallit and tefillin. I’ve joked with him that my morning plank is my Shacharit service. Like Ira, I don’t allow myself to have breakfast until I’ve completed it.
Another routine I follow religiously is to read Dr. Meeta Singh’s weekly Performance Sleep Bulletin. (I strongly recommend clicking on this link to subscribe for valuable sleep and health tips.) Reading the November 10, 2025 post was especially affirming when I read the section entitled “Core Strength Plays a Bigger Role in Longevity Than You Think.” Under a photo of a person perfectly planking was this message: “The body’s deeper core muscles do more than aid movement—they protect the spine, support posture, and help prevent age-related decline in balance and mobility. Often overlooked, those muscles may be a hidden key to maintaining independence as we age.”
Dr. Singh’s post describes the core as “the body’s control center for posture, movement, and injury prevention.” I’ll add that for me, the core is also a control center for the mind and spirit.
I hope I’ve convinced someone to join me in my morning plank ritual. Perhaps others in your family will follow your example and it’ll become part of the personal legacy you pass down to your heirs. Maybe many years from now, after I’m long gone, one of my descendants will do a morning plank and think of old Zaidy Marvin. It’s part of my story.
Here’s to a healthier 2026 — Happy planking!
Marvin E. Blum
Marvin Blum’s morning plank ritual is a physical and spiritual experience that’s part of his personal legacy.
