Joseph Pilates said ‘Above all, learn to breathe correctly.’
This is such an important principle as it’s so fundamental to performing the exercises correctly.
Movement together with deep breathing is the base for all his exercises; this skill requires practice & is often confusing when you first start Pilates. But practice & perseverance makes it all ‘slot into place.’ If you’re struggling with it,just breathe and don’t hold your breath.
The breathing in Pilates is called Lateral breathing; we breathe in deeply through the nose,breathing wide into our ribcage,so it expands fully inflating our lungs whilst exercising our muscles around the ribcage , then we exhale fully though the mouth to deflate the lungs entirely. Exhalation fully & deeply helps to engage the deep abdominal muscles.
Joseph Pilates thought the exhalation was the most important part of the breath, this is because a full & long exhalation encourages a deep & wide inhalation, which in turn means that our blood & muscles are oxygenated & nourished.
In the hectic lives that most of us live, we forget to breathe fully – our breathing is what is known as ‘apical’ or shallow, just breathing into the chest, which means the collarbone lifts, raising the shoulders & tensing the neck.
Studies have shown that deep breathing can help with depression, anxiety, stress management & concentration, as it can manage our stress response.
A long slow , breath out sends a signal to the nervous system telling our body that we’re safe. Deep breathing encourages the nervous system to decrease the heart rate, it dilates blood vessels, so blood pressure drops.In contrast , a short breath signals a ‘flight or fight’ response to get active, making us anxious and ‘on edge.’
Spending too much time in ‘flight or fight’ mode can adversely affect our health, as it makes us more vulnerable to infections as it suppresses our immune system.
When I get can’t get to sleep, often my mind is racing with things I want to do, or I’m worried , I practice my deep breathing (the Pilates way) & I ‘feel’ myself relax, you can feel you heart rate slow and you really do feel calmer – try it for yourself & you will feel the difference.
And of course adding more Pilates to your week will benefit your whole body & mind (whilst practicing your deep breathing !)
Claire x
