Stop doing sit-ups - a yoga instructor and strength and conditioning coach recommends this exercise to work the core, hip flexors, and back muscles
Tom's Guide • • technology
Key Points:
- Sit-ups and crunches can strain the lower back and neck if not performed with perfect form, especially for runners or desk-bound individuals whose hip flexors may dominate the movement, causing discomfort.
- Yoga instructor Melissa Leach recommends the boat pose as a safer and more effective core exercise, engaging multiple muscle groups including abs, hip flexors, glutes, pelvic muscles, and back for functional core strength.
- The boat pose involves sitting with bent knees, leaning back slightly, lifting feet off the floor, balancing on sit bones, and extending arms forward; beginners are advised to keep knees bent and use supports like cushions or walls for balance.
- Benefits of the boat pose include activating deep core muscles, improving posture, strengthening the lower back, and enhancing balance and coordination, making it a comprehensive core stability exercise.
- To progress, practitioners can increase hold time, raise arms overhead, or add controlled pulses by lowering and lifting the torso and legs, thereby increasing core engagement and challenge.
