You might be wondering why I’m writing about something as simple as breathing when it’s something everyone does, every day, without thought. But it’s because it’s so unconscious, and so important, that I’m writing a follow-up to the last blog about recognizing when muscles need strengthening rather than stretching. Your breathing muscles, specifically your diaphragm, shouldn’t be ignored in the care and keeping of your body.
Our respiratory system is vital to all aspects of movement—whether during exercise, daily activities, or even pelvic floor function. Dysfunctional breathing patterns, which are more common in women, can affect your ability to move freely, lead to poor posture, lower back pain, shoulder tightness, or even pain during everyday movements. During exercise, proper breathing mechanics help optimize oxygen flow, reduce strain, and improve performance.
Dysfunctional breathing refers to abnormal breathing patterns that can include shallow breathing, breathing from the chest rather than the diaphragm, or holding your breath unintentionally. If your shoulders rise on inhalation, that’s a sign of an inefficient breathing pattern that could result in neck muscle pain, caused by using the so-called accessory muscles to breathe rather than the diaphragm and the muscles meant for breathing.
View this post on Instagram
Diaphragmatic breathing, also known as belly breathing, uses the diaphragm to take slow, deep breaths, strengthening the muscle and increasing oxygen intake. In contrast to shallow chest breathing, it is marked by the outward expansion of the belly during inhalation. As a core stabilizing muscle, the diaphragm works with your pelvic floor, deep abdominals and back muscles to create postural alignment and internal abdominal pressure, giving you the support you need for movements like lifting, bending, or even sitting at a desk. Poor breathing patterns can disrupt this system, leading to discomfort, inefficient movement, and even pain.
Proper breathing is a BIG part of Pilates, so you’ve heard a lot of this in the studio. At PIH, we even have newcomers attend our newcomer privates so they can learn these fundamentals of breathwork before joining a group class. Jayne wrote a blog about breathing that is full of great information. We also have a handout on breathing that often ends up in the hands of new clients. Basically, your diaphragm needs to work in concert with your pelvic floor. As you inhale, the diaphragm moves down to allow air into the lungs, pushing on your internal organs and causing your belly to expand. The pelvic floor also drops down to create space. You should feel an expansion all the way around your ribs and abdomen: front, sides, and back. When you exhale, the diaphragm and pelvic floor move up, pushing air out of your lungs and allowing the core to narrow.
Basically, your diaphragm needs to work in concert with your pelvic floor. As you inhale, the diaphragm moves down to allow air into the lungs, pushing on your internal organs and causing your belly to expand. The pelvic floor also drops down to create space. You should feel an expansion all the way around your ribs and abdomen: front, sides, and back. When you exhale, the diaphragm and pelvic floor move up, pushing air out of your lungs and allowing the core to narrow.
Did you know the core works like a piston, with the diaphragm and pelvic floor dancing together in unison? It’s important to know how to strengthen AND release both.
During classes, you’ll often hear “inhale to prepare” and “exhale, then lift your legs into tabletop.” That’s because proper breathing includes using your exhale to support your core during any effort. Heath, fitness, and breathing coach Dana Santas writes: When you exhale purposefully while working out, several beneficial things happen simultaneously — each connecting to the stabilizing systems we’ve explored in this series. Your diaphragm rises as your obliques and deep core contract to align your rib cage over your pelvis and stabilize your spine. Your pelvic floor naturally lifts, enabling a better connection with your inner thighs. And your scapulae can settle into a stable position on your rib cage.
So breathing from your diaphragm is the goal, but the most important breathing tip for everybody while exercising (and in life!) is: don’t hold your breath. Holding your breath squishes the diaphragm downward, increases pressure on all your organs, and pushes them down onto your pelvic floor. It also prevents you from getting a good exchange of carbon dioxide for oxygen during exercise and can lead to more muscle aches and pains later.
If you want to practice your diaphragmatic breathing, this video is very informative. You should also take a look at Kristen’s Instagram video above (she’s a local PT and PIH client!)
Next time, we’ll finish up on the theme of pain or tightness, the role our nervous system plays, and how our breath connects the two.
