Grandmother sets world record by planking for 4 and a half hours

A 58-year-old mother of five and grandmother of 12 has broken the world record for longest board.

On March 27, Guinness World Records announced that Donnajean Wilde from Alberta, Canada, set a new record for the longest plank hold by a woman with a time of 4 hours, 30 minutes, and 11 seconds.

To complete the record, the challenger’s forearms and toes must be in constant contact with the ground. The rest of your body should be lifted off the ground and kept generally straight.

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According to Guinness, Wilde’s plank journey began 12 years ago after he broke his wrist and realized it was a daily exercise he could do even while wearing a cast.

“I fell in love with planking because I realized that when I was doing it, I could read a book or do something,” she recalls.

To prepare for his record-breaking plank, Wilde reportedly planked for five to six hours each day, divided into two- to three-hour blocks. During her event, she was surrounded by her loved ones and told Guinness that her last 30 minutes focused on “breathing, staying calm, and not shaking.”

“The last hour was the hardest just staying focused and maintaining form,” she admitted.

Wilde said it was “overwhelming” to set a new world record after so many years of planking.

“I still can’t believe it, actually. It’s like a dream,” she said, offering advice to those with similar goals. “Keep trying and keep practicing. If you need to read or work on your computer, sit on the floor and do it.”

According to Guinness, the longest plank record for a man was set in May 2023 by Josef Šalek, a 53-year-old from the Czech Republic, who held the record at an undisputed 9 hours, 38 minutes and 47 seconds.