Oxygen is what we all need to partner with every function of our body.
During Pilates, using our breath, deeply and efficiently, we stimulate the organs especially the heart. This cycle them stimulates the circulation and carries oxygenated blood throughout our body.
By focusing on an intentional breath, we also allow the process of expelling the waste product, carbon dioxide, which then cleanses our system.
With time, focused breathing during Pilates, as with all exercise, becomes second nature while also becoming a valuable a tool for bringing our mind to the task at hand. With best practice, we also centre ourselves, bring ourselves into the moment and reduce stress.
We consciously do two types of breathing;
Diaphragmatic Breathing: This allows a breath to move into our lungs as deeply as we can, expanding the tummy with the inhalation and contracting the tummy with the exhale. Done with intention, this is the most efficient everyday breathing.
Lateral Breathing: During pilates movements, we are training our core often in a way that does not allow for an expansion with an inhalation. By using lateral breathing as a technique, we are learning to counteract this by expanding through our back and our ribs on an inhalation.
Pilates breathing fills the lungs completely, from bottom to top. An exhalation is deliberate and is asserted usually at the most challenging part of an exercise, which takes into account the contraction of the abdominal muscles. This then gives that movement greater power.
So, remember to breath! The breath is your tool in everyday life and in your Pilates practice.