Health
Meet the 80-year-old man who held a plank for 50 minutes — and learn how he stays fit
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Fitness experts say people should be able to hold a plank for anywhere from 20 seconds up to two minutes, depending on their age.
An 80-year-old Florida man has blown that goal out of the water, recently holding a plank for a whopping 50 minutes — 100 times longer than the average recommendation for his age.
Bob Schwartz held the plank — which is believed to be a record for his age — at the Ocean Reef Fitness Club in Key Largo.
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Luis Bracamonte, director of fitness and wellness at the club, said he witnessed Schwartz’s feat, which earned him the nickname of “The Plankster.”
“To our knowledge, after extensive searching, it is the longest plank ever held by an 80-year-old,” Bracamonte told Fox News Digital. “Mr. Schwartz is an extraordinary individual and a perfect example of a ‘super-ager.’”
Bob Schwartz, 80, recently held a plank for a whopping 50 minutes — 100 times longer than the average recommendation for his age. (Bob Schwartz)
A plank is an isometric move where the person holds a push-up position for a set period of time. It is often touted as an abdominal exercise, serving as an alternative to traditional sit-ups and crunches.
In addition to strengthening stomach muscles, planks also work the arms, legs, chest and back, according to experts.
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Schwartz’s planking journey began when Bracamonte set up a contest in 2016, where any member who could do a four-minute plank would get a free smoothie. Schwartz not only got his smoothie, but he won the contest, planking for just over 10 minutes.
Bob Schwartz is pictured planking while two of the club’s fitness trainers sit on his back. (Bob Schwartz)
“Prior to that, one minute was probably my max, although by this time, my core was in pretty decent shape,” he told Fox News Digital.
As Schwartz continued to extend his planking times, he started researching online and discovered that his times were already longer than the records for his age bracket.
“The over-80 record has been 15:03 since 2019, and the over-70 record was 38 minutes,” he said.
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Schwartz applied to Guinness World Records, but was told that they don’t recognize records by age group.
“So in this internet age, you just post a video of your accomplishment and claim the title until somebody beats you,” he said. “So during this year’s fitness challenge, we decided to video my plank and post it.”
“The hardest part is just making the commitment to exercise, and staying with it long enough for it to become a habit.”
The passion for planking has become a family affair, as Schwartz’s youngest grandson, who is 7 years old, has started joining him in plank challenges.
Schwartz embraces planking as a convenient way to work virtually every major muscle in the body. “A plank can be done at home, without equipment, and in a short period of time,” he noted.
Sticking with it
Schwartz has not been a lifelong fitness enthusiast — he didn’t set foot in a gym until 2006, when he was 62 years old.
After years of suffering from chronic back pain, he finally discovered the therapeutic effects of exercise.
“Since I’ve been doing core exercises, I have never had a back issue,” he told Fox News Digital.
Schwartz started with a core and cycle class, eventually adding strength training sessions to his regimen. He also walks three miles each morning.
On March 26, 2025, Schwartz is pictured immediately after completing his 50-minute plank. (Bob Schwartz)
“When I strength-train, I push myself as hard as I can,” he said. “Many exercise sets end in muscle fail. I’ve been able to improve my stats every year, but it’s getting much harder now.”
Schwartz said he also adheres to a “healthy-ish” diet, aiming for a minimum of one serving of fruit, two servings of vegetables, fish for at least one meal, and usually chicken (or occasionally pork or beef) for dinner.
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He also tries to minimize sugar and rarely drinks alcohol.
“My blood pressure is the same as it’s always been, and I’m not on any medications,” he said. “I do take several supplements. My weight has not changed more than 10 pounds since I was 18.”
In 2017, at the Ocean Reef Fitness Club, the manager challenged Schwartz to a plank contest. “To intimidate him, I came up with ‘The Plankster’ persona,” Schwartz said. “I beat him and the legend grew.” Here, his “fan club” helps celebrate his victory. (Bob Schwartz)
“The hardest part is just making the commitment to exercise, and staying with it long enough for it to become a habit and part of your lifestyle,” he said.
For those just getting started with planking and fitness in general, Schwartz recommends seeing a trainer to learn the proper form and minimize the chances of injury.
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He also emphasized the importance of maintaining balance, especially in older age.
“Pick up a foot as you stand in a line; move it around as you wait,” he recommended. “A fall and a trip to the hospital at an advanced age can be devastating.”
Schwartz is pictured with his daughter and 7-year-old grandson, all of whom engaged in a plank challenge. (Bob Schwartz)
Looking ahead, Schwartz said he hopes to continue exercising and maintaining his current fitness level.
“I’m going to try and at least maintain it as best as I can until the end,” he said.
“I enjoy a lot of different activities, but they all require a modicum of strength and agility. So until they come up with that magic exercise pill, I guess I’ll keep going to the gym.”
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An accidental lab discovery has opened the door to entirely new ways of preventing the flu.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells, SWNS reported.
By targeting the specific molecules the viruses rely on, scientists found that they could block them from entering new cells and halt their replication altogether.
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Researchers say these “fundamental insights” into seasonal influenza highlight a clear path toward developing better preventive medications.
“The hope is that fundamental, curiosity-based research like this helps to pave the way for novel strategies to treat and prevent influenza infections,” principal investigator Dr. Emily Bruce, from the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine, said in the SWNS report.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells. (iStock)
While several flu strains cause illness, H1N1 and H3N2 influenza A viruses are the most common. However, current flu tests cannot differentiate between them, and clinical treatments are identical for both.
Although vaccines and antivirals are available, Bruce noted a “dire” need for better medications to stop the virus from spreading cell to xxcell.
“You don’t get sick when a virus is in one cell,” he noted. “You get sick because a virus replicates itself and goes into many more cells.”
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The study, which was published in The Journal of Virology, originally aimed to map how viral RNA segments are transported within cells to create new viral particles.
The team used H1N1 and H3N2 viruses isolated from the nasal passages of positive patients in 2022.
Clinical treatments remain identical for both primary strains of the flu virus. (iStock)
During the investigation, the team unexpectedly stumbled upon a cellular pathway that blocked the virus from entering lung cells, SWNS reported.
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The data revealed that when a specific human protein called Rab11B was depleted, H3N2 viruses failed to enter human lung cells. H1N1 viruses were completely unaffected.
Using reverse genetics, the team mapped this defect and uncovered a brand-new, H3N2-specific role for Rab11B during viral entry.
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This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way.
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“Viruses are like pirates from different countries hijacking someone’s ship,” Bruce said. “Different viruses, like different types of pirates, use different methods to get onboard.”
This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way. (iStock)
“We had previously thought that all flu viruses used the same way to get into a cell, but we discovered that this is not true,” she went on. “H1N1 and H3N2 need different proteins to get in, and if you get rid of the right protein, a specific virus can’t get in.”
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While these findings identify a critical cellular pathway for viral entry, the study was conducted using isolated cells, the researchers acknowledged.
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Further research is needed to determine whether blocking the protein is safe and effective within a live, complex human respiratory system.
Bruce and the team hope to conduct further research to determine whether this Rab11B-dependency is a fundamental property of H3N2, or if it’s a trait unique to currently circulating flu strains.
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Eating processed meat like ham, sausage and bacon may be linked to a higher risk of certain types of cancer, according to new research.
While health organizations have already confirmed that processed meat can contribute to colon cancer, this study looked closer at cancers in the upper digestive tract, where the link has historically been less clear.
To understand these connections, researchers from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), one of the world’s largest long-term nutrition and cancer cohorts, tracked the health and diets of 450,112 people across Europe for an average of 14 years.
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The study group included 131,426 men and 318,686 women, according to the study’s press release.
During the follow-up period, 876 people developed stomach cancer and 215 people developed esophageal adenocarcinoma, which is cancer of the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach.
For female participants, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk of developing the disease. (iStock)
Researchers tracked where the stomach cancers grew, separating them into the upper part of the stomach near the throat and the lower part of the stomach.
The researchers also sorted the tumors into two categories based on how the cancer cells appeared under a microscope: intestinal, which forms more organized structures, and diffuse, in which the cells are more scattered throughout the tissue.
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After adjusting for other lifestyle factors, the researchers found that for every extra 30 grams of processed meat a person ate per day, their overall risk of stomach cancer went up by 9%. Eating that same extra 30 grams a day was also linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma.
A standard single slice of regular deli-sliced ham or lunch meat averages around 28 grams, according to USDA data and nutritional tracking databases.
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken and turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach. (iStock)
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken or turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach, the researchers noted.
The study also revealed differences between men and women. For male participants, only processed meat showed a clear, statistically significant link to a higher risk of stomach cancer. For female participants, however, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk.
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These findings align with global health benchmarks, particularly those established by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.
The agency has long classified processed meat as a known human carcinogen, primarily due to its strong, well-documented links to colorectal cancer.
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However, health organizations have also consistently pointed to a potential, yet less definitive, relationship between these meats and cancers of the stomach.
Eating 30 grams of processed meat a day, or the equivalent to one slice of ham, was linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. (iStock)
Further scientific investigation is needed to confirm the findings and to account for other underlying risk factors, such as certain stomach infections, which could interact with dietary habits.
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A key limitation of the study is its reliance on self-reported diets, which can sometimes lead to inaccuracies in how participants recall their meat consumption over time, the researchers noted.
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The findings were published in the International Journal of Cancer.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers requesting comment.
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