When did breathing get so hard?

I'm sure a lot of people can relate to this as one of the biggest things people struggle with when they begin Pilates is breathing! Obviously you've been doing something right ...right? After all you've survived this long doing what you're doing, so why is it so hard?

Our body's are amazing things, we can adapt and compensate to ensure we survive even if it's not the most efficient way of doing things. When our attention is consciously draw to something which is largely under automatic control it's a bit of an internal struggle and takes time and reassurance to correct.

So is your breathing back to front?

Try this simple test. Lie down or sit in a supported position. Place one hand on your breast bone and one hand over your stomach. Now breathe.

What do you feel?

Are you breathing through your nose or your mouth?

Is your chest elevating when you inhale or staying still?

Is your stomach expanding or sucking in when you inhale?

Is your chest dropping on the exhale or is it rigid?

Is your stomach deflating or protruding?

Ideally during relaxed breathing we should breathe in and out through our nose as it humidifies and filters the air before it enters the lungs. The chest should stay relaxed and the stomach should expand as we inhale. On our exhale the chest may continue to fall slightly and the stomach will deflate. If you passed the test congratulations! If you felt your breathing was a little back to front then keep practicing and try to breathe out for slightly longer than you inhale each time to fully relax the chest before the next inhale.

The Diaphragm is a broad flat muscle which attaches to the lower boarder of our ribs and Thoracic spine and is the most efficient and effective respiratory muscle in our body.  It separates the chest cavity from the abdominal contents and its contraction creates a pressure in the lungs to draw air in and concurrently displaces the abdominal contents. The stomach inflating while we inhale is a good sign that you are contracting your diaphragm correctly It draws air down deep into the lungs were the blood is pooling and waiting to take the much needed oxygen to, amongst other things, our hard working muscles. Elevation of the chest and breast bone when we inhale indicates that we are relying on our accessory breathing muscles in the neck and shoulders which are generally designed to assist us in times of extreme exertion and is not only inefficient but will also give you tense shoulders, poor posture, and a sore neck!

If you passed the first test and want a little more challenge then try reading a few sentences from a book or newspaper and see if when you pause to breathe you are still able to use the diaphragm as described above.