Diaphragm

The diaphragm exercise focuses on enhancing your breathing technique and core stability.

Follow these steps to perform the exercise:

  1. Begin by sitting or lying in a comfortable position.
  2. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen.
  3. Inhale deeply through your nose, allowing your diaphragm to expand.
  4. Exhale slowly through your mouth, feeling your abdomen contract.
  5. Repeat for several breaths, focusing on the movement of your abdomen.

How to perform the Diaphragm

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Diaphragm 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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