Boat Stretch

The Boat Stretch enhances flexibility and strengthens the core. It is ideal for improving balance and posture.

  1. Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat.
  2. Lean back slightly, keeping your back straight.
  3. Lift your feet off the ground, balancing on your sit bones.
  4. Extend your legs to form a V shape, if possible.
  5. Hold the position, engaging your core.

How to perform the Boat Stretch

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Boat Stretch using your body weight.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your abdominals.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your abdominals rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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