Remember to Breathe

I have noticed that when my clients and student teachers are introduced to the concept of lateral thoracic breathing, they can initially find it challenging. The ones who find it most difficult to master are those who practice shallow breathing normally which causes their ribs to become restricted.

With practice breathing "wide and full" becomes familiar, however, lately I have noticed that quite a few people are so focused on maintaining their neutral alignment at the pelvis - they are contracting their abdominals well, but their breath has become stifled, stuck in the upper section of their trunk.

I have noticed this in both teachers and clients - it seems that we (teachers) have lost track of how stability is achieved in the lumbar spine.

When The Movement Is Not Enough

Talking about good breathing patterns to clients is a difficult task. It can take many sessions for a client to understand what is needed to enable them to activate a breathing style that will create the correct intra-abdominal pressure to stabilise the spine.

That's the key - the contraction of the muscles alone will not create stability, without efficient breathing.

TA, PF, Diaphragm?

We pay a lot of attention to the Transversus Abdominis and the Pelvic Floor when discussing the deep abdominal connection. However another major feature of the "unit" that assists with lumbar stability is the Diaphragm.

The Thoracic Diaphragm divides the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity, it functions as the main breathing muscle as well as stabilising the spine to which it attaches. If breathing patterns are weak (shallow breathing) the Diaphragm becomes weak through lack of use and spinal stabilisation is reduced. The Diaphragm muscle fibres attach at the inner surface of the ribs and Lumbar vertebrae then connect at the Central Tendon.

The Thoracic Diaphragm creates inhalation when the muscle fibres contract pulling the central tendon down. Because it is attached to connective tissue around the lungs this causes a vacuum in the upper thoracic cavity drawing air into the lungs. This action increases volume in the upper cavity and decreases pressure, at the same time decreasing volume and increasing pressure in the abdominal cavity. On exhalation, the muscles fibres relax which releases the central tendon allowing the lungs to deflate, causing the pressure in the upper cavity to increase and the volume to decrease, whilst the pressure in the lower section decreases and volume increases.

Primary Muscles of Respiration

• Diaphragm
• Intercostals
• Abdominals (Internal/external obliques,Rectus & Transversus)

There are many more accessory muscles that assist respiration therefore the need for an overall strong, flexible body is essential for efficient breathing patterns which will result in optimal spinal stabilisation.

The Diaphragm merges with the Psoas fibres as well as those of the Quadratus Lumborum, so any shortening or weakening of these major muscles will effect the Diaphragm.

Optimal breathing requires good posture and balanced muscles. Weak abdominals cannot generate the necessary pressure on expiration to meet the increased demands during exercise. Weak upper back muscles interfere with the ability to stand up in order to expand the chest sufficiently to maximise lung capacity. Strong muscles are more efficient and require less Oxygen to complete a task, compared to de-conditioned muscles.

In Closing

More than being able to perform the Pilates movements well, our clients need to understand that for optimal lumbar stability to be achieved a complete breath both in and out is necessary. This does not mean the breath needs to be explosive, quite the opposite it means it needs to be allowed to finish naturally.

A simple exercise to help clients understand the benefits of a full breath is one that does not require any additional equipment.

This exercise can be done in standing, sitting or in supine with the knees bent. Simply ask the clients to breathe in on your count from 1 - 5 then exhale at the same rate. Increase by one count each time the length of the inhale and exhale until they are breathing in for a count of 10, then out for a count of 10. Ask the client to notice the path of the breath. They will not be trying to hold the abdominals in, but allow them to fully expand on inhalation and contract naturally on exhalation. The style of breath should be as natural as possible.

Of course if there are breathing problems for the client then adjust the count accordingly. What you are hoping to have the client "feel" is how the breathe can fill the whole of the trunk, not only the chest and back but also the low back.

Once the client is happy with this exercise you can talk to them about holding their centre whilst performing their Pilates movements. I have had great success with this, even with clients who have been with me for a long time; when I see they are overworking their superficial abdominals during a movement or their upper back muscles, especially during exercises that require them to use their arms.

Any comments regarding this article are welcome - let me know your experiences and how you deal with the breathing issue.

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