If You Only Have 2 Minutes To Work Out, You Should Do This One Thing

It's hard to pack everything you need to do into 24 hours.

Between work, socializing, keeping your apartment reasonably clean and getting enough sleep, it's easy for exercise to fall to the wayside.

Trust me, that's where I am right now. I've never been busier. While I'm not fitting as many spin classes or morning runs into my schedule as I'd like, I am doing one thing every single day: planking for two minutes.

And it makes a world of difference. My stomach is super flat, and I haven't done crunches in ages.

If you just winced because you absolutely hate planks, I don't blame you. It's one of the hardest exercises out there because it works your core muscles, glutes, arms, shoulders, hips and back.

Think about it like this, though. It's only two minutes of your very busy day, and I know you have no problem fitting in at least two minutes of Facebook stalking daily. On top of that, you don't need any equipment -- just a floor and your body weight.

Of course, different types of planks work different parts of your body.

A straight-arm plank (weight in your palms) is probably the toughest plank of them all as it requires a decent amount of core and arm work. A forearm plank (propping yourself up on your forearms rather than your palms) is a little easier since you need a bit less arm strength.

A side plank (propping yourself up on one forearm or one palm) is tough, but it seriously works those obliques.

You can do any or all of these plank variations. If you get bored easily, try doing 30 seconds of a forearm plank, 30 seconds of a straight-arm plank, 30 seconds of a side plank on your right side and 30 seconds of a side plank on your left side.

Just don't take breaks in between. It's about smooth transitions, people.

I'm assuming you're convinced by now. For those of you who have no idea how to do planks or are afraid of doing them wrong, check out Greatist's guide to doing the perfect plank.

Or watch this YouTube video.

Happy planking!

Citations: How to Do the Perfect Plank (Greatist)