| Our life force starts with our first gasp of air and ends | | | | challenges of an exercise. For example, many |
| with our last breath. Breathing is one of the most | | | | students will hold or shorten their breath while |
| important functions that we think about least. Unless | | | | performing the movements, which makes the |
| we have asthma, a cold, or any other type of ailment | | | | movement more difficult to perform. By focusing on |
| that affects the breathing mechanisms, we take for | | | | the breath, the body will be more relaxed to move with |
| granted the beauty of our respiratory system. There | | | | greater ease while supported with the strength of the |
| are exercises for the biceps, lats, quads, and most | | | | abs. |
| other external muscles. But, what about exercises for | | | | Before we start to master the breath, we need to |
| the lungs? Unless you have utilized the various | | | | learn what our current breathing pattern is. Start by |
| breathing exercises used in yoga or meditation, you | | | | lying down on your back with your knees bent and |
| probably have not thought about how to exercise your | | | | feet flat on the floor or in a comfortable seated |
| respiratory system. By exercising your lungs with the | | | | position. Place one hand on your upper belly and one |
| Pilates breath, you will improve your respiratory | | | | on your lower belly. Breathe normally and tune into all |
| system functions, relieve breathing ailments, and | | | | the feelings. Are your breaths shallow or deep? Does |
| strengthen your abs. | | | | the belly push out? Is most of the breath in the upper |
| Breathing is more than a matter of life and death. It | | | | chest? Is there tension and where? Ideally, we would |
| contributes to the strength of our immunity, circulation, | | | | like for our breaths to be deep and expansive rather |
| and detoxifies the body. In the article "Breathing | | | | than quick and shallow. As well, you want to have a |
| Correctly Can Lead to Better Health," John Messina | | | | release in tension. |
| tells us that most of us only use 20% of our lung | | | | Now that you have tuned into your current breathing |
| capacity. This is a concern when you consider the | | | | patterns, you can start to master the Pilates breath. |
| importance of a properly functioning respiratory | | | | The following is instruction on how to perform the |
| system. Breathing detoxifies the body more than any | | | | Pilates breath. I recommend you practice your |
| other system and plays a key role in the proper | | | | breathing exercises at least once a day. You can |
| functioning of the immune system. When you utilize | | | | practice in the car, while you are walking, or before |
| your lungs to their full capacity, you will help eliminate | | | | you go to sleep. In the beginning, it may be challenging |
| the stale air in your lungs and bring a rush of fresh air | | | | to control your breathing and activate certain muscles. |
| to the system. You will strengthen your lungs by the | | | | Continue to practice until you master the breath to a |
| increased expansion while improving circulation. | | | | point of subconscious. Once you don't have to think |
| As well as improving your lungs' functioning, you will | | | | about the Pilates breath, you can focus more on other |
| work your abs. The six pack abs may be desirable by | | | | aspects of Pilates. It is not uncommon in the beginning |
| society, but it is not as important as the deeper belly | | | | to feel light-headed or dizzy. Return to your regular |
| muscles. A muscle called the Transverse Abdominis is | | | | breath for a moment and then practice again. As well, |
| one of the keys to the Pilates breath. The Transverse, | | | | you may feel sore in the ribs the next day as if they |
| which wraps around from the front to the back, is the | | | | were bruised because you are expanding your ribs |
| body's natural corset. It helps stabilize our spine, | | | | and stretching the Intercostals, or muscles between |
| compress our internal organs, respiratory functions, and | | | | your ribs more than you have previously. Remember |
| maintain posture. In addition to the Transverse is the | | | | you are learning to exercise muscles that have rarely |
| Internal and External Obliques. The Internal Obliques | | | | or never moved in this new way. It will take patience |
| work with the Transverse as well as assist when | | | | and practice to unlock the secret behind the Pilates |
| inhaling. The External Obliques assists mainly during the | | | | breath. |
| exhalation process. The Internal and External Obliques | | | | Exercise |
| twist and side bend the spine; however, at this time our | | | | Pilates Breath |
| focus is on the breathing aspect. Strong Transverse, | | | | Lay on your back with one hand on the upper belly |
| Internal Oblique, and External Oblique may not give you | | | | and one hand on the lower belly. First, start with |
| those six pack abs, but it will give you flatter, longer, | | | | learning the exhale. Inhale through your nose and |
| leaner abs. Unlocking the secrets to the Pilates breath | | | | exhale through your mouth. You want to keep it |
| will not only exercise your lungs but also strengthen | | | | relaxed and not forced. Make sure to open your throat |
| your abs. | | | | rather than purse your lips. As you exhale, you want to |
| Think of your lungs as a vacuum creating suction upon | | | | feel the deep belly muscles contracting toward your |
| releasing the old air. As you exhale, air filled with | | | | spine in an upward motion. The belly will pull away |
| metabolic waste is released followed by an inhale with | | | | from your hands rather than push into them. Check in |
| fresh, new air. However, improper breathing- indicated | | | | that you are exhaling all the air out of your lungs. |
| by shortened breath, slumped posture, and other poor | | | | Continue to practice the exhale several times and |
| habits- will create a cesspool of germs and stale air. | | | | compare how it feels to your regular breath. You |
| When practicing the Pilates breath, you exhale all the | | | | should start to feel more relaxed as well as taking |
| air, creating a vacuum to draw in as much new fresh | | | | more air in on the inhale. Now that you have the |
| air as your lung capacity will allow. Your breath will be | | | | exhale, you need to work on the inhale. In Pilates, the |
| slower and deeper, which will relax the body and help | | | | belly always stays pulled in. On your inhale, pull the belly |
| release stress. Joseph Pilates says, "Squeeze' every | | | | muscles in and up stretching from the pelvic bone to |
| atom of air from your lungs until they are almost as | | | | up under the ribcage. You should feel the muscles |
| free of air as is a vacuum." By completely exhaling all | | | | contracting on the inhale as well as the exhale. The |
| the air in your lungs, you will automatically expand the | | | | belly will never push into your hands on the inhale or |
| lungs to draw more air on the inhale. | | | | exhale. Think of the belly working as a corset |
| Analysis | | | | supporting the body. |
| The Pilates breath is the perfect way to start | | | | Many times the shoulder will get tense when trying to |
| exercising your lungs. Joseph Pilates designed | | | | pull the belly in and up. Make sure to keep them |
| exercises and equipment for every body part. He | | | | relaxed and make this a ribcage and belly motion. As |
| even designed an exercise performed on the Cadillac, | | | | well, you may find that you shorten your breath or the |
| one of the main pieces of Pilates equipment, named | | | | belly will push out three quarters of the way on the |
| the Breathing to expand the chest and strengthen the | | | | inhale. Rather than shorten the breath, focus on |
| breathing mechanisms. In some studios, you can find | | | | expanding your ribcage more. Your ribcage should |
| smaller pieces of equipment designed specifically to | | | | expand in all four directions: out into the armpits, into |
| exercise the lungs such as the Pedi-Pole and | | | | the upper chest, and into the back. Try and figure out |
| Breath-a-Cizer. Even if you have access to the | | | | where you don't expand well. Most of us tend to know |
| equipment or exercises, you may still struggle with the | | | | how to expand in our upper chest, but lack expansion |
| Pilates breath. | | | | in the sides or back. Maybe you need to think about |
| How can you master the Pilates breath? It is important | | | | expanding wide into your armpits or breathing in |
| to realize that the Pilates breath is just an exercise. It is | | | | between your shoulder blades. The more expansion |
| not meant to replace your regular breath. It is important | | | | you get into the ribcage the less likely the belly will push |
| to be able to control and exercise the breathing | | | | out. Your main goal is to control the expansion of your |
| components in a variety of ways, such as yoga or | | | | ribcage and the contraction of your belly. |
| meditation techniques. For Pilates, the breath is the | | | | Mastering the Pilates breath will strengthen your lungs |
| main exercise- the building block upon which the rest | | | | and immune system, detoxify the body, relieve stress, |
| of the Pilates movements are founded. The Pilates | | | | and strengthen your abs. Just because breathing is an |
| breath and movements work hand in hand. The breath | | | | innate function, this doesn't mean it shouldn't be |
| helps to guide the movements you perform, to feel the | | | | exercised. Try the Pilates breath to see and feel the |
| rhythm of the movement, and learn control of your | | | | difference in your body. When you master the Pilates |
| body in the most fundamental way. Many times by | | | | breath, give yourself a high five...You are a |
| focusing on your breath you can alleviate many of the | | | | ROCKSTAR! |