“Breath is the first thing we do coming into this life, breath is the last thing we do leaving this life”
HW.Mann
And how many of us live our entire lives without giving it a second thought? Did you know that Joseph Pilates struggled with respiratory conditions his whole life? That he suffered from asthma?
A lovely client, short time after she started practising Pilates, came to the class and explain that her doctor allowed her not to use her inhaler anymore. Her breathing technique had improved. She was able to get deeper and better breaths. She was extremely aware of her way of breathing.
Why breathing is that important in Pilates?
Breathing is important yes, and to be aware of the way we all day long do is as well.
Let me share with you an article by Alison Manheim. She is a writer and Pilates instructor based in California. Her Pilates practice has been a springboard to a brand new career as a fitness model and commercial actor at age 50+.
“Joseph Pilates, creator and namesake of the Pilates method, stressed the importance of inhaling fresh air and exhaling stale air. As someone who struggled with respiratory conditions his whole life, he didn’t take breathing for granted. He likened our lungs to bellows and promoted the idea of breathing fully and deeply as part of his “return to life,” or his path towards total health!
In Pilates, we breathe in a specific way. It may take some getting used to if you come from a movement background such as dance, sports, or yoga, which have their own specific breathing cues.
Pilates emphasizes core stability and strength. While practicing, the abdominal muscles are pulled in and up, meaning that taking belly-expanding breaths (as is normal in yoga, for example) isn’t possible. Instead, we breathe “laterally” or into the side ribs as well as the back body. This allows us to get the oxygen we need while also keeping the abdominal region engaged. The “in and up” or “scoop” of the abdominal muscles helps protect the lower back during challenging exercises (and in daily life!).
Pilates employs a specific breath pattern that varies by exercise to help recruit the appropriate musculature, to provide rhythm and consistency to the movement patterns, to facilitate length in the body, and to help focus the mind. There’s the familiar five-count inhale and five-count exhale that characterizes the Hundred, for example, and the twisting exercises such as the Saw and Short Box that feature a twisting movement on the exhale.
It may seem like a tall order to learn the exercises themselves as well as the accompanying breath pattern, but don’t worry. In time, you’ll understand how the breath pattern actually helps you get more out of each exercise, and it will become second nature.
While the breath is an important aspect of the Pilates method, don’t let the breath inhibit your movement. It is better to breathe comfortably than to hold your breath or focus obsessively on breathing “correctly” when practicing Pilates. Keep in mind that different teachers will teach different breath patterns for the same exercise, depending on their training or personal choice.”