Breathing: Something you have to do to stay alive. Something you want to do better to come alive!

If we told you there was ONE, SINGLE exercise you can do properly that will help maintain your core AND restore your core after trauma, would you do it? OF COURSE you would….so what is this mysterious exercise? BREATHING.

As you’ve learned from previous post, your diaphragm and pelvic floor work in conjunction together. Thus, if you’re not breathing properly, your pelvic floor suffers. When your pelvic floor suffers, problems arise.

How hard can it be to breathe correctly?

Allison and Lauren- is that really an exercise?

Yes, it is an exercise AND you’d be surprised at how many people breath incorrectly all day long.

Proper breathing includes diaphragmatic breathing (DB). DB is a slow, controlled breath that we should be able to sustain all day. Due to injury, stress, lack of awareness, etc we tend to use our chest for breathing instead which we call chest breathing.

DB not only is important for PF function but also to supply your body with the richest blood and support your lymphatic system. To perform this magical breathing when you INHALE your stomach will expand and your ribs will move outward. When you exhale you want to envision blowing out birthday candles, the diaphragm and pelvic floor will move down together.

As you’re addressing the breath it is important to remember it should be a 360 degree expansion (not just the stomach). When you inhale you should feel expansion through your whole rib cage as well. To help with this, hands on cues can be beneficial. Wrapping one hand around the side of a rib cage (thumb in back) then one hand over your stomach will prompt a full 360 expansion.

Lets walk through it:

1.       Placing one hand along the ribs (think bra line) with the thumb wrapping around your back. Other hand on your stomach

2.       Take one cleansing breath then on your next inhale aim to push both hands out

3.       As you exhale you will feel the ribs lower and feel pressure downward

4.       Now lets try a 4 count breath- inhale 2,3,4 (think expand more, more more). Exhale 2,3,4

You got it!