Discover the power of breathing during Pilates

In the world of Pilates, no movement is made without a focus on breathing. It is the life force that permeates every movement and brings the body into harmony. Muscle stagnation is regression, and this is especially true for the respiratory muscles and their surrounding muscles. Compare it to training your front biceps and back triceps. You do not train one-sidedly but create balance by training them in both directions.

The dance of breath and mobility

One-sided breathing also creates an imbalance, correct breathing supports the movements around the core muscles. It prevents adhesions and opens the door to more mobility. The spine is lengthened, the body stabilized, and each exercise gets a deeper meaning. Using your respiratory muscles as versatile as possible contributes to a broader expansion to get the stationary/fixed muscles moving and to activate the deeper core muscles more powerfully.

Breathing, an essential element

Our ‘normal daily natural unconscious breathing’ improves noticeably after specific breathing exercises. Then there is ‘conscious trained breathing’ – a targeted approach to relax, specifically direct the breath for more mobility, or tighten muscles for a firmer core.

Flanks and diaphragm breathing

In the Pilates world, flank and diaphragm breathing are often discussed. But what exactly does this mean? As with many learning moments in life, it may seem overwhelming at first, but with repetition and awareness it becomes second nature.

• Posture and breathing are an inseparable duo – Correct posture and breathing go hand in hand. This duo not only creates stability but also mobility in the lower body, pelvis, lower abdomen, diaphragm, ribs front and back, collarbones and shoulder blades in the upper body. This prevents many physical complaints.
• Proprioception is the awareness of movement – Breathing creates proprioception, the awareness of how our body feels. When you know how something feels, you use it more effectively and efficiently, leading to controlled and purposeful movements.

Step by step to perfect breathing

The correct breathing is a gradual process. Inhalation starts from below, like filling a glass of water, while exhalation moves from top to bottom, like drinking that water. The active breathing in Pilates is actually just a trick that you can learn.

• Inhale – Follow your spine from tailbone to crown to lengthen it. Activate your lower abdomen, expanding along your waist, over your ribs, collarbones, to your shoulder blades. Fill your lungs completely to the peaks. If you can’t do it all at once, start with step 1 and build up.
• Exhale – Through the chest and let your sternum melt down, closing the ribs around the diaphragm, dropping the shoulder blades, pulling the navel in and up, and contracting the deep abdominal muscles, pulling the ribs in from top to bottom.

With each conscious breath you embrace not only the power of Pilates but also the power of your own body. It is a journey of movement, balance, and breath.