Why is Pilates breathing different?

Breathing quite literally comes naturally to us from the moment we enter this planet. However, many of us haven’t been given the method in the ways we should be breathing correctly.

Through evolution and being in the digital age, our postures are significantly different to how they were hundreds of years ago. This means we aren’t breathing from our belly like we did when we first come into this world. Our breath and respiratory rate will change from when we were kids into adulthood too.

Respiration is the metabolic process of oxygen intake and carbon dioxide release. Our neural central control, sensory input and muscular system are all systems that work together to create that process of exchange between oxygen and carbon dioxide.

Why is this significant to our breath?

The exchange of elements (oxygen & carbon dioxide) is important for metabolic processes to continue at a cellular level.

What slows or speeds up the rates depends on your lifestyle, illness or other conditions.

This includes:

Alcohol

Narcotics

Metabolic Issues

Brain Injuries or Stroke

Dehydration

Asthma

Lung / Heart Conditions

Anxiety or Panic Attacks.

 

If you do not have any underlying conditions there is a way to shift your breathing that can influence your stress levels, enable you to receive more energy and live a healthy, well-balance lifestyle.

Breathing affects your whole body, including your posture. Within Pilates sessions we look at the differences in breathwork that are starkly different to other exercise modalities.

 

Breathwork and Movement Synergy

Within Pilates they use a method called lateral breathing. This is essentially to ensure the abdominal muscles are engaged, in turn it stabilises your core when performing a movement or series of movements.

Many Pilates exercises have a set breathing pattern to help activate the deep core muscles, The Transverse Abdominis. This not only helps establish a dynamic rhythm it supports the core muscles throughout the exercises. This intention keeps your mind grounded in what you are doing, let’s be honest sometimes the list of to-dos infiltrate our thoughts during training. In turn this supports your spine, overall posture and be able to breathe deeply which will increase circulation of oxygen to your blood cells  and can lower cardiovascular disease.

How to perform diaphragm breathing?

Lay on your back

Relax your hands on your lower ribs (fingertips pointing towards midline)

Allow your ribs and belly to expand up and out.

As you breath in, you will notice your hands expand outwards as your ribcage fills your palms.

Try and avoid the upper chest and shoulders to rise. Relax these areas.

Continue this exercise for 2-3 minutes.

 

If you can do this each day, for 40 days, you will notice significant differences in the way you pay attention to your breath throughout your day.  You will be more conscious to your breath and notice when it becomes shorter and shallower.

If you are wanting more support on breath control and movement, head over to my YouTube Channel.

Here you will find the series on ways to use breath to control movement, increase your intention and attention to your breath and eventually how this not only affects your posture during exercise but in everyday life too.