In Return to Life, Joe Pilates touts the benefits of a full deep breath. He maintains that shallow, lazy breathing deprives the body of the amount of oxygen necessary to fuel the blood.
Indefatigably and conscientiously practice breathing until the art of correct breathing becomes habitual, automatic and subconscious, which accomplishment will result in the bloodstream receiving its full quota of oxygen and thus ward off undue fatigue.*
With regard to the Pilates exercises, 90% of the time he is talking about a complete toxin-clearing exhale.
To breathe correctly you must completely exhale…always trying very hard to “squeeze” every atom of impure air from your lungs in much the same manner that you would wring every drop of water from a wet cloth.*
Because of course you will inhale, no one can teach you to breathe anymore than they can teach your heart to beat.
During your Pilates workout too much emphasis on breathing gets folks all bunched up and concerned – when do I breathe? Inhale now? Or exhale?
Now they are all tense about the breathing and there is no moving, which is the main point of the Pilates exercises: Move!
In my understanding, the ‘correct breathing’ that Joe desires is just one result of a consistent practice of the Pilates method. Moving the body vigorously provokes the natural response of the breathing mechanism.
Truly there are only a handful of exercises which are considered “Breathing Exercises.” For example, the Hundred and the Double Leg Pull on the Mat and the Down Stretch on the Reformer. For the other 500 or so exercises, just breathe ‘like you’re walking down the street,’ says Jay Grimes.
Joe did all the hard work for us. He has built into his system all the tools you will need to “practice and perfect our breathing.” Don’t you worry!
- Vigorous, sweaty and heart-elevating exercises. You cannot help but breathe at least a little bit deeper if you are moving. Let me say it again: MOVING! There is no time to micromanage your breathing in this challenging variation of the Rocker with Open Legs:
1. The Hundred! This one is all about circulation. This Pilates breathing exercise helps you work towards complete and controlled inhalation and exhalation which “stimulates all muscles into greater activity. Soon the entire body is abundantly charged with fresh oxygen, a fact which makes itself instantly known as the revitalized blood reaches the tips of your fingers and toes…”*
2. The Double Leg Pull. Often hailed as the quintessential Pilates exercise, Joe has us expand our bodies and then fold up as small as possible. Just the positions of the body give us help to fill up with breath and then to empty ourselves as completely as we can of all the air in our lungs.
3. The Rolling Exercises. Joe Pilates maintains “this action of rolling and unrolling cleanses your lungs so effectively by driving out the impure air and forcing in the pure air as you roll and unroll.”*
4. The Twisting Exercises. Nothing like a good twisting exercise to wring the lungs of all their air. Twisting exercises make up a good portion of the Pilates exercises which are specifically about the exhale.
Lookie there – It’s in there! Thanks Joe 🙂
*All quotes are from Joseph Pilates’ Return to Life Through Contrology.
Learn more about Andrea and her excellent blog here.
Words by Andrea Maida