Today we are talking about learning how to breathe properly and why it is oh so important for everything we do. Think of breathing as the foundation on which our bodies function. A house won’t stand without a proper foundation right? 
So what does it mean to breathe properly? We need to work on developing a good 360 degree breathing pattern on your inhale.  This means that when you inhale the following things should happen:

1. Diaphragm expands. Place you hand above your navel and feel your diaphragm expand into your hand when you inhale
2. Your ribs should expand on the sides. Place your hands on your ribs at your sides and feel your ribs expand into your hands as your inhale
3. Back body expansion. You should feel your back body expand as you inhale. Place your hand on your mid back and see if you can feel it move into your hand as your inhale.

The first step is to get a that nice 360 inhale with front, back and side body expansion. On your inhale the pelvic floor should relax. You can think about directing your breath down to the pelvic floor. 

On your exhale here is what you want to think about 

1. Bringing the ribcage down. This helps to properly engage the abs
2. An audible exhale or “HA” sounds helps to bring in a little force to turn on the transverse abdominus ( that deeper abdominal layer) which helps to stabilize the spine
3. Your lower abs will engage, no “pooching” of the lower abdominals. Think about engaging lower abs or bringing hip bones together. 
4. Don’t try to “suck it in” at your belly button
5. Think about pressing your upper back into the floor as you tighten. This prevents and excessive posterior pelvic tilt but pressing your lower back too much into the floor. 
6. Pelvic floor lifts and contracts. Think about squeezing and lifting or drawing a marble up into you. 

What are some great ways to work on fixing your breathing. Let’s start by breaking it down by specific problems. 

*If you noticed that your abs bulge out on your exhale, it means your core is not firing properly so this is something you want to try to work on, especially if you are healing a diastasis. We will cover the following in today's podcast. 

1. Balloon training: A great way to work on this is balloon training because it works on breathing at the same time by gently overloading our system. 
2. 90-90 breathing. This a great exercise to retrain your system.

*Your ribs are not moving out to the sides when you inhale. This means you will need to improve your rib mobility. Today we talk about techniques to improve your mobility. You can check out more videos of this on my instragram including skin rolling @Dr.allieflowersPT

*You are not getting back body expansion or you notice your back muscles are always so tight. 

1. Try some prone belly breathing. Lay on your stomach or even over an exercise ball. Try to inhale into your back body. Try to take 10 nice deep breaths in this position. 
2. Try a full squat. Try coming into a full squat position 
3. If you are pressed for time try practicing while you are driving. Direct your inhale into your back body by pressing your back into your seat! 

In summary, it is so important to work on developing a great breathing pattern. Remember it takes time and alot of practice. Don’t get frustrated, keep at it! If you need help or have any questions please let us know and we are happy to help you on your journey!  Remember to follow me on instagram @Dr.allieflowersPT for more videos and tips!