Half Boat Pose Ardha Navasana

Body WeightIntermediate

Half Boat Pose, or Ardha Navasana, strengthens the core and improves balance. You engage your abdominal muscles while maintaining a V-shape with your body.

  1. Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat.
  2. Lean back slightly, keeping your spine straight.
  3. Lift your feet off the ground, bringing your shins parallel to the floor.
  4. Extend your arms forward, parallel to the ground.
  5. Hold the position, breathing steadily.

How to perform the Half Boat Pose Ardha Navasana

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Half Boat Pose Ardha Navasana 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 primary working muscles.
  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 working muscles 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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