Breath

I'm back- sorry for the long hiatis. I'm really only a few weeks late for a monthly post, but I was trying to do them bi-weekly. Hopefully I will get better.

Our topic this time is breath which is oh-so-important in Pilates but so much more so during pregnancy, especially as pregnancy progresses! I'm going to focus more on the pregnancy side of it that the Pilates side of it for this post, save for this brief introduction.

The principal of the breath in Pilates is that all of your movements should be connected to your breathing pattern. It helps with the centering, concentration and flow of your movements, along with helping to power your muscles.

During pregnancy your rib cage essentially flattens out- the sternum angle more than doubles as your internal organs get pushed up up and up by your growing child. As the pregnancy progresses, you may find it harder and harder to take deep breaths and may feel constantly out of breath because your lungs feel like they can't fully expand. This is where starting Pilates early in your pregnancy and diligently practicing through out really can pay off.

Pilates promotes the use of "Posterior Lateral Breathing" or breathing through the back and sides of the rib cage rather than just into the belly and the front of the rib case. You must use this kind of breath if you inhale while maintaining an abdomonial contract- if you try to use diaphragmatic breathing, your diaphram must dome down into your abdomonial cavity, thereby forcing you to release your abs. By allowing your lungs to expand to the back and the sides of your rib cage, you can maintain your abdominal contraction, allowing you to do endurance exercises like hundreds, but still breath. When you are pregnant, there is simply no room for your diaphram to go down to allow your lungs to fill, so you either don't get deep enough breaths or it must go to the sides and back.

To practice posterior laterial breathing, wrap your hands around the sides of your rib case with your thumbs on your bra line and your fingers facing forward. Take a deep breath through your nose, keeping your shoulders down and your abs pulled in. Concentrate on making your hands move. You can also do this with a partner by having them place their hands on your shoulder blades with their palms on your bra line. Try to pull their hands apart from one another when you inhale and draw them back together on your exhale.

Don't worry if you can't get it right away, it takes practice. First of all, your intercostals- the muscles that connect your ribs to one another, need to stretch. This can take some work if they haven't been stretched before. Secondly, you are learning how to breath again, something you have done without thinking your whole life. Spend a bit of time each day practicing and viola- one day- your hands will move. Also, don't be surprised if you're a bit sore the next day- it is a great work out for tiny little muscles that don't get much love from the gym.