Hi there, new to the tribe and pilates and had a question about breathing. So, is the initial inhale and exhale mainly used to engage the muscles and set the spine, then you hold that and breathe with each repetition? I'm just working with a DVD right now as I am not able to afford a class, so a few questions have come up. I want to practice as good of a form as I can until I can get some in-person instruction.
Thanks in advance for any help :)
Thanks in advance for any help :)
posted by:
|
Seattle
|
-
Re: Breathing...
Thu, September 29, 2005 - 10:37 AMBreathing is so complicated! Ugh, I'm serious. I'm always confusing it. My intructor has just told me to always remember to breathe on the exertion. I'm not sure when you say :hold your breath" if you meant it literally, but there should be no holding of your breath through any excercises... -
-
Re: Breathing...
Thu, September 29, 2005 - 10:39 AMI didn't mean hold my breath, I meant hold the body position that the inhale and exhale sets, THEN breathe through the exercises.
-
Re: Breathing...
Thu, September 29, 2005 - 7:05 PMStand in front of the mirror with your hands at your ribs. Inhale very deeply back into the post lateral ribs as opposed to the lower abs (balloon effect. Your fingers should sepaarate slightly as you exhale , visualize the oblique muscles of the waist wrapping around like a corset and connecting with the pelvic floor. Your stomach should actually feel flatter on the exhale once you get used to it.
Once you master the work you can change the breathing around.
On neck pull or roll up, i find it more challenging to inhale as i come up and exhale back down to really scoop the abs out. -
-
Re: Breathing...
Tue, October 4, 2005 - 12:29 PMYes, breathing can always be changed on the exercises, at least in my experience...oftentimes it's a good little challenge when you've gotten used to a certain way of breathing.
You should definitely be breathing with every repetition. Neck pull is the only thing I can think of off the bat that you have to hold your breath (even though only for a short time) for.
-
Re: Breathing...
Sat, October 14, 2006 - 6:22 PMwell, and for the sequence of breathing, most of the time you don't ever hold your breath. often, the exhale is for exersion. even that can be tricky since sometimes the direction in which you are exerting is counter-intuitive.
when in class, you're trasversus abdominus and pelvic floor should all pretty much stay engaged. the verbal hhhh sound breathing helps to engage your transverse. like when you laugh - that contraction engages those muscles. you can use audible breathing to help you do the work.
i've been taught the widen the ribcage sideways on the inhale, trying not to let the front of the ribcage pop up, and then bring down the bottom of the ribcage towards the hips on the exhale, imagining knitting the ribcage back together. i think this is what amanda is saying but with different cues than i'm used to.
-
-
Re: Breathing...
Sun, October 16, 2005 - 5:01 PMactually, your breathing never stops it just flows differently. by engaging your abdominal wrap in all the routines you can't practice yogic breathing. Hence, we encourage you to develop lateral breathing. for 100 beats its 4 in 5 out (these should be shour and percussive on the exhale. a roll up should be performed with a slight exhale about 1/3 of the way up and with a slight inhale on the way down. let your breath guideyou through bridge and flight as well. the trickiest is part is keeping your abs engaged. one time you should not exhale on the exertion is with spine twist. by inhaling you will reach one pinnacle, then exhale slightly and inhale deeply as you try to move deepr into the twist. at the end of your routine you should then return to yogic breathing to help clear toxins. i hope this helps. blake
-
-
Re: Breathing...
Wed, June 21, 2006 - 10:08 PMI remember asking one of my first instructors - "How does the breathing go?" - she responded -"Inhale, then exhale...."
Search for full expansion in every direction with your "breathing cage" on the inhale, and then imagine putting on a corset, and slightly cinching it ( to get completeley rid of the stale air) during the exhale... What we are searching for is exactly what a cat or dog or cheetah or horse does naturally - maintaining a scooped center when in effort, with the breath becoming thoracic, then when at rest, the belly softens, and the diaphragm eases in to massage the internal organs....We want supple musculature - that can instantly activate.
The muscular engagement supporting you through the movements should not be affected by the transition of inhale to exhale or vice-versa - though I personally have an affinity for Inhaling effort, exhaling release - when one is born (effort) inhale happens, when one dies (release), exhale happens....
And last but not least - have fun, take great care of yourself, relax your eyebrows, breathe deeply and slowly, pay attention to your body's sensations, rest when you need to, and try not to do anything that isn't smileable... Buena Suerte
b
