Body Basics - A Pilates Newsletter - Breathing For ExerciseWriten by Louise Forscher
Welcome to the first edition of our newsletter.
Heres the hot Body Basic for this issue:
BREATHING FOR EXERCISE
Heres the way to breathe to get maximum oxygen into those lungs and get the best benefit from those muscles that need oxygen to work at maximum efficiency.
Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Breathing in through the mouth generally results in a shallow breath. Nose breathing brings a slow but deep inhalation of breath. Then you let it out through the mouth.
Now place your hands comfortably around the sides of the ribs, breathe in through the nose and feel those ribs expand sideways and into your back- the ribs will feel like they are pulling away from the spine. Let the air out through your mouth and let the ribs drop down.
Two things not to do. Dont expand your abdominals to get air in and dont breathe up into the front of your ribs. This restricts the windpipe. Expanding your abdominals is counter productive to flat strong tummy and deep abdominal workout.
Practise your breathing 3 times. In the morning is good.
Ways to practice:
Sitting on your heels head on the floor. Put a cushion between your heels and butt if needed. This way you have to breathe into the side and back and it restricts frontal breathing.
Sit or stand to practise your breathing.
Lie down, head on pillow and knees up.
By the way expanding the ribs away from the spine also gives the spine a stretch, vertebra to vertebra.
Let me know how you get on with this.
Client: I dont want to give up my Pilates classes. When I leave them I feel invigorated. My other workout class doesnt do that.
Client: This is so good for me. It makes it easier to get through it (referring to a heavy work load)
Client: From foot work done I have noticed my bunion is getting less.
Client: I sit at a desk and computer for long hours and it helps my spine stay in good shape to do this.
Yours
Louise Forscher
Body With Soul Inc
December, 2005
Louise Forscher, native born New Zealander is a certified dance instructor from London and certified Pilates instructor from Long Beach Dance Conditioning in Southern California.
So that we can provide you with a newsletter you like, we want to know what you think. You can contact me at louiseforscher@sbcglobal.net.