Pilates & Breathing
5 Tips to link your Breath during Pilates Practice.
Do you ever find yourself unsure about how and when to breathe when you are in a Pilates class?
Have you ever found yourself breathing so much using your lips, face and neck that you end up with a headache and feeling dizzy?
This can be a very common occurrence in a class.
So I am here to tell you my TOP 5 TIPS to incorporate a better breath when in class. Here goes.
Number 1. If it’s your first class forget about the breath and just move.
The best place to start Pilates is getting your body moving, learn the choreography and how it feels, you can always incorporate the breath on week 3 or 4 once you know the exercises a little better.
Number 2. Breathe IN through your nose. It doesn’t matter how you breathe OUT.
Our nose is made to breathe in it cleans the air, warms it up, increases air flow, lung volume and improves the function of your diaphragm just to name a few things! This part is important. The breath out isn’t such a big deal but what is important is to relax your face, lips and jaw when breathing out. Using your nose can help a little more when it comes to this.
Number 3. I have a saying in class that goes a little like this “if in doubt, breathe out”
Remember our bodies are highly intelligent things, far smarter than our minds are. There won’t ever be a time that you won’t take a breath in, so if you are confused and you find yourself holding your breath, just breathe out and start again.
Number 4. Completely let go of your breath, don’t hold any of that stale breath in.
On most occasions your breath out will be longer than your breath in, again this is not something you have to worry about because your extremely intelligent body will take care of this. Just remember to let go of that last ounce of breath to fully cleanse your body.
Number 5. Don’t compare yourself with the person beside you.
Remember every person within your class will be breathing at different speeds and therefore you should all move at a different pace. Don’t ever compare yourself to the person beside you because we are all so different and so is our breath.
In summary, contrary to what people might tell you, your breath does matter for so many more reasons than just better movement. A great breath pattern can decrease anxiety and depression, increase mood and sleep quality. And improve mindfulness, which helps us to internally focus our attention in class!
To find a Pilates class near you and get started with a Pilates program check out what we offer in our Ōmokoroa studio, or our online studio where we offer on-demand memberships and programs. If you have any questions feel free to contact our team at Mind Your Movement.
Author: Nicole Dixon Mind Your Movement
