Breath deep and practice Pilates.....

Did you know that on an average day you take 23,000 breaths? Most of the time, we are completely unaware of these breath cycles and of their importance to our overall health and well-being. When not practiced correctly, our breathing patterns often become shallow and quickened. This habit of thoracic (or chest) breathing can lead to all kinds of physical ailments including postural deficiencies, muscle tightness, headaches, neck pain, as well as, lessened lymphocytes and the proteins that signal immune cells. These shallow breaths can also lead to panic attacks, dry mouth, fatigue and leave us in a constant state of stress. That is a lot of influence that we have over our bodies 8-12 times every minute!

The good new is, breathing is an exercise that can be practiced, perfected and strengthened just like a squat or plank! Deep or diaphragmatic breathing was, as babies, our natural state. And, with a little bit of practice, can become our new norm. We can also condition our breathing cycles in ways that will increase muscular strength, endurance and flexibility! Learning posterolateral breathing and one-lung breathing techniques are the best way to improve your exercise experience and deepen both core activation and many stretches.

You can begin deepening your breath by taking some time daily to lie on your back with your hand on your belly. Try to expand your belly and gradually increase the amount of air coming into your belly and lower abdomen. This practice alone will do wonders to move us out of that constant state of stress and begin moving us towards a healthier respiration system. To get even more in tune with your breath and how you can use it to strengthen not just your diaphragm but also your intercostals, transversus abdominis and pelvic floor, try learning posterolateral (rib cage) breathing techniques in a Pilates class. In Pilates, we also use the breath to deepen stretches everywhere including deep muscles we rarely think about like the rotators of the spine, intercostals of the ribs, lats and internal obliques. Now that is taking your wellness to a deeper level!!!!

We all recognize the importance of scheduling time to do cardio in order strengthen our hearts and barre to strengthen our bones and muscles. This week, how about adding a little time to work on strengthening your respiration! Think about adding a Pilates or yoga session to your regular program, paying more attention to the breath cues in barre, staying to enjoy the stretches and slow roll-up at the end of class, or just take a few minutes to lie and practice your belly breath. Whatever you are able to make time for, appreciate your breath and take good care of it so you can improve your health 23,000 times a day!