The star side plank is a side plank with your top arm reaching to the ceiling and your top leg lifted, so your body makes a star shape. In the video it is done on a straight arm. The side of your trunk and both hips work hard to stop you tipping, and the supporting shoulder carries much of your weight. Think of it as the next step up from a regular side plank.

How to do the star side plank

Lie on your side on a mat with your legs straight, stacked and in line with your body. Place your bottom hand flat on the mat under your shoulder and rest your top hand on your hip.
Tighten your stomach, push the floor away through your hand and lift your hips until your body forms one straight line from head to feet.
Once you feel steady, raise your top arm straight up toward the ceiling.
Then lift your top leg, knee straight and toes pointing forward, so your body makes a star shape.
Hold the star and keep breathing, without letting your hips sink or roll. Lower the leg first, then lower your hips to the mat and bring the arm down, and rest before the next hold or the other side.

What you should feel

Hard work along the side of your waist and hip nearest the mat, at the side of the top hip as the leg lifts, and in the shoulder and arm you are leaning on.

Common mistakes

Lifting the top leg before your hips are steady, so they drop or twist.
Letting the pelvis roll back or the chest turn toward the floor as the leg goes up.
Swinging the leg up high. Keep the lift lower and your body in line.
Sinking into the supporting shoulder, or holding your breath.

How often

Many programs start with short holds of 5 to 15 seconds, 2 to 4 times on each side, a few days a week. Your physio will adjust this.

Stop and check with your physio if

Pain in the wrist, elbow or shoulder you are leaning on, or pain or tingling running down that arm.
Pins and needles in your arm or hand that do not go away after you stop, or part of your arm or hand goes numb. Get medical advice the same day. If one side of your face or body suddenly goes numb or weak, or your speech becomes slurred or muddled, call emergency services, even if it goes away.
Sharp pain in the lower back, or in the side or front of either hip.
Chest pain or pressure, dizziness or feeling faint, a racing or irregular heartbeat, or being far more out of breath than the effort should cause.

From the clinic

The voice guide describes propping on your elbow, with the elbow right under your shoulder, while the video shows the straight-arm version. Propping on the forearm takes the load off your wrist and gives a wider base, so many people start there. Build a steady side plank first, holding a straight line without the hips dropping. Still hard? Work on the kneeling side plank. A good halfway step is to lift only the arm, or only the leg, before trying both.

Lifting the top leg asks a lot of the muscles at the side of the hip. If you have had a hip replacement or other hip surgery, get the go-ahead from your surgeon or physio before you try the star side plank. Some operations limit this kind of work for the first months, so the timing depends on your surgery. If you get the go-ahead, try side-lying hip abduction first. If your shoulder is sore, has dislocated in the past or has had surgery, ask your physio before you balance your whole body on one arm. With raised blood pressure, breathe out as you lift and never hold your breath during the star. If chest pain, pressure or tightness does not ease quickly when you rest, spreads to your arm, neck, jaw, stomach or back, or comes with sweating, feeling sick, feeling light-headed or being short of breath, call emergency services straight away, as this can be a heart attack. If it eases quickly and none of these happen, get medical advice the same day, and do not exercise again until you have been checked. If you faint while exercising, call emergency services, even if you feel fine again quickly.

Written and checked by the PocketPhysio editorial team. Last updated 2026-09-28.

This page is general education, not a diagnosis or a personal treatment plan. If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, see a physiotherapist or doctor before starting new exercises.

Star side plank