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George Hood, a 62-year-old former US Marine, has set the Guinness World Record for holding the longest plank.
Planking is an exercise in which an individual holds a position similar to that of a push-up for as long as possible. Hood had been hooked on this exercise before and even broke the record for the longest plank back in 2011. Five years later, he tried to break his record again but lost to a Chinese man who held the plank for 8 hours, 1 minute, and 1 second.
Last February, Hood set the current world record for the longest plank with a time of 8 hours, 15 minutes, and 15 seconds.
According to Hood, he wanted to reclaim his world record to raise mental health awareness. He said that having a mental illness is often stigmatized in the military and law enforcement, where he served. But with planking, he was able to work through personal issues and sort out his thoughts and emotions.
He set the world record at 515 Fitness, a gym where physical health and mental health go together. Licensed clinicians and trainers help gym-goers through physical and mental counseling and therapy. Hood could have broken the record right after the eight-hour and one-minute mark, but he kept going to have the numbers “515” in his record and dedicate it to the gym.
After breaking the record, Hood shared in an interview that he wants to enjoy some downtime and launch a fitness exercise video. He also wants to break the Guinness World Record for the most push-ups in an hour, which is currently at 2,806.