"But why?" Wednesdays - the importance of breath

Breath is a fundamental principle of Pilates. Through breath we enhance each exercise, activating dep abdominal function, supporting lengthened muscle contraction and adding dynamic energy to movements.

I have heard some Pilates instructors who don't cue breathing...at all...

Without breathing, linked to each movement, it isn't really Pilates.

On the flip side, new participants often get consumed worrying whether they're breathing correctly. They put so much emphasis on when to inhale and when to exhale they feel completely overwhelmed by their efforts to correctly execute the exercise.

Here are my general rules for breath:

1) Generally, we exhale with the effort. This is not always the case, but a good rule to revert to if you are one of those people who find yourself holding your breath.

2) Breathe as deeply as possible. If you have a large lung capacity, don't feel pressured into breathing more shallowly to keep time with the rest of the class. I find this particularly applies for men who can often breath much more deeply.

3) Connect your exhale breath with your deep corset activation. Each exhale is an opportunity to reconnect with your pelvic floor, to engage your transverse abdominus and feel your waistline narrowing. This will give you stability and also a better abdominal workout.

4) Spend some time opening up the thoracic  area of the spine, especially the space between the ribcage. We spend most of our day breathing shallowly - it might take some very conscious efforts and some good stretching to really open up the space to engage a good, deep lung breathing pattern.

5) Use breath to help you go a bit further with your range of movement. If you're still breathing in, try to reach that little bit further. If you're still exhaling, really release into that stretch. Tie movement and breath together and keep challenging yourself.  Deeper, longer, flowing.

Above all, keep breathing. Don't hold your breath. If you find yourself holding your breath you are missing an opportunity to get the most out of your Pilates practice.

I hope this post has inspired you to pay attention to you breath as you practice.

Until next time...