Breathing Exercises

1.Side-Lying Breathing Technique: to promote 360 breathing

Intent: rib cage movement and diaphragm expansion 360 degrees

Side lying is one of the easiest positions to get started in.

• • Lay on your side with a pillow or towel roll under the head to ensure proper shoulder positioning
  • If needed, place another towel roll or pillow under the rib cage for support and elevation.
  • Get into a C-shape because it promotes back breathing and expansion.
  • Put your hand on your side. Inhale deeply, focusing on rib cage expansion & direct the air and pressure down into the belly, back, and sides. Feel for 360-degree expansion.
  • If you only feel the belly expanding, curl into a ball.
  • Check for proper rib cage expansion by placing hands on the back and feeling for pressure and expansion.
  • Emphasize complete exhales, getting the rib cage down. Use your hand to help. Using an open mouth "ha" breath is best.
  • Do a nice deep inhale and feel the rib cage expand. Don’t shrug up.
  • Repeat the exercise multiple times, aiming for a comfortable and natural breathing pattern.

Reference: Pelvic Floor & Diastasis Course. December 2023. Dr. Sarah Duvall, PT, DPT.

2. "Ha Breathing" for Pressure Management: How to Stop Being an "Ab Gripper".

If you over grip with the external obliques when you exhale instead of using the intercostals, this produces a tremendous amount of pressure down on the pelvic floor. This can lead to pelvic floor dysfunction such as leaking when you cough or sneeze or increased prolapse. Learning to manage pressure is the number one thing you can do to improve almost all areas of pelvic floor dysfunction, including pelvic floor tightness.

Exercise intent: Avoid generating external oblique tension to prevent pressure on the pelvic floor.

This can help manage downward pressure on the pelvic floor and can help you close a diastasis

• • Sit comfortably, either in a chair or on the floor.
  • Let the belly hang out, consciously releasing any abdominal tension. If this is hard for you, it’s a sign you’re an ab gripper.
  • Place hands on the rib cage, focusing on the whole ribcage.
  • Inhale naturally, allowing the belly to remain relaxed. (Don’t shrug up).
  • Exhale with a relaxed "Ha" sound, using your hands to encourage the ribs to move in and down. Don’t engage external obliques. The belly stays fully relaxed. You shouldn’t feel any pressure down on your pelvic floor because you’re not generating any external oblique tension.
  • Now add a little over-pressure with your hands and inhale into your thumbs and feel a stretch across your sides and back. It feels nice! This exercise also promotes 360 breathing! Don’t be too aggressive with the overpressure.
  • Then exhale with a relaxed Ha.
  • Repeat the "Ha Breathing" exercise for 3-5 cycles.

This next exercise can help with that. It’s also great for people with a diastasis.

Four Exercises to Help with Abdominal Distension. Also relevant if you have an Anterior Pelvic Tilt.

Do your abs look distended as the day progresses or after a challenging workout? Click on this video for 4 more exercises you can do. These are super helpful if you have an anterior pelvic tilt (APT). Note that lower belly pooching is more likely to occur if you have an APT.

1. Gather your low abs and hold 10s. Seated in a chair. 5x.
2. Side & Back Expansion. Standing. 5/side
3. Deep Squat Breathing, 5 breaths
4. Quadruped Pelvic Reposition. Feet against wall. 5 Breaths.

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