breathing – Personal Euphoria: Pilates & Fitness Classes in CT

How to “Knit the Ribs”

One of the hardest basic principles in Pilates is referred to as knitting the ribs. The goal is to ensure that your ribs stay connected during movement and that they don’t pop. Most people when they move their arms, particularly over head allow their ribs to pop up—losing the connection with the abdominal muscles.

Knitting the ribs does not only provide you better ab-work, but it also created a healthier spine. This video can help you start to understand and visually see what it means to knit the ribs. Lying on the floor will make it easier to feel if are connecting because you can use the floor beneath you as a contact point. Once that starts to become easier you can play with the concept in a seated or standing position. Any overhead exercises are the time to check in on your ribs and make sure you are not arching your back in order to move the arms more.

As you experiment remember not to be forceful. You shouldn’t feel like you are jamming your ribs into the floor. Just like you don’t want to jam the back into the mat when you rock to imprint on pelvic tilts. […]

How to “Knit the Ribs”Maggie Downie2018-02-14T15:32:24-05:00

Reader’s Question: How Am I Supposed to Breathe & Keep My Abs Engaged?

I was emailed an important question the other day that I think a lot of people find confusing. The question is: If I’m supposed to keep my abdominal muscles engaged during Pilates or exercise, how do I do that and take a deep, full breath? Arguably, how do I breathe at all with my abs engaged?

The answer is you don’t. Not well anyway. When you breathe your abdominal muscles should move. They should not stay contracted, especially on a deep belly breath. Even on a lateral Pilates breathe it is not realistic to hold your abs in when you inhale.

Not sure you know what the lateral Pilates breath is? Check out this video before you continue reading:

So here are some tips to hopefully help you breathe, but remain connected with the abdominals (or take better advantage of how they should interact with your lungs and diaphragm):

On every inhale allow the abdominals to relax as you take in air. Use the exhale as a reminder and opportunity to reconnect with them. Very often, especially when you are new to Pilates you should hear an instructor cue you: “Inhale. Engage the abs, exhale and move.” That’s the order it should come. Our […]

Reader’s Question: How Am I Supposed to Breathe & Keep My Abs Engaged?Maggie Downie2017-10-25T15:49:49-04:00

Take Breathing for Granted? Not Anymore. Layrngospams Make Me LOVE Breathing

I love being able to breathe. Now you’re thinking “Thank you, Captain Obvious.” But it isn’t obvious. Most of the time I don’t notice I’m breathing. I take oxygen completely for granted. And anyone who exercises knows it’s really easy to hold your breath. We hold our breath when we learn something new or do anything challenging. It’s like we can’t chew gum and walk at the same time. Focused breathing is hard. But breathing should generally be automatic.

The reason I’ve really appreciate breathing lately is because I started having layrngospasms. What’s that? It’s when your vocal cords slam shut and you can’t breathe. Much like when food or water goes down the wrong pipe, except you aren’t eating or drinking. Most of the time you wake up from a dead sleep and (as I learned yesterday at my ENT) it’s caused from acid reflux splashing against the larynx—a normal occurrence that is currently really irking my vocal cords. For most people, most of the time the larynx is a little more chill about acid reflux.

It’s terrifying. It sounds like I’m retching or like I’m a cat coughing up a fur ball, but there is no fur ball. This is […]

Take Breathing for Granted? Not Anymore. Layrngospams Make Me LOVE BreathingMaggie Downie2014-11-05T15:23:03-05:00