Breathe in or breathe out?

One of the core principles of Pilates is breathing. Joseph Pilates, the man behind the method, is quoted as saying “Above all, learn how to breathe correctly.” As if it wasn’t enough to wonder whether or not you’re doing the exercise correctly, now you have to think about breathing too? Those Pilates classes sure are asking a lot of you.

But does breathing really matter all that much?

Yes, and no.

Yes, because breath sustains us, and is an incredibly powerful tool to regulate our bodies and control our movements.

And no, because the most important thing to do when exercising, is to actually breathe! Too many people end up holding their breath when doing Pilates, because there are so many other things to think about… But this is a far worse habit than breathing “incorrectly” (and really, is anything that the body does incorrect?).

Here are a couple of rules of thumb if you want to find support with your breath:

1.       Breathe into your lower ribs and lower back, rather than your belly and chest. This keeps your shoulders and neck relaxed and helps you to connect with your abdominals.

2.       Most people are more comfortable exhaling/breathing out with the effortful part of the movement (so which part is that for you?)

3.       Extending the spine backwards is generally easier with an inhale/breath in. This is because our spine naturally moves into extension as we breathe in.

But if these breathing patterns don’t match what feels best in your body, it is absolutely okay to switch things up. Our motto: above all, breathe.

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