Lateral breathing is a way of breathing.
It is the chosen technique used in Pilates.
Lateral breathing is a good technique to use whilst doing gentle exercise and especially during ab work.
It is, however, a less efficient method and doesn’t get as much oxygen into the body but it enables you to keep your tummy muscles pulled in at the same time as breathing whilst exercising.
It can be particularly useful if you usually breath into your abdomen, such as in tummy breathing, though it can take a little practice to master.
How do I lateral breathe?
Place you hands onto the sides of your rib cage.
Inhale - through the nose, into the sides and back of the body. Feel your ribs push your hands outwards.
Exhale - through the mouth, ribs contract. Feel the hands draw back towards each other.
Try lateral breathing next time you are doing an ab workout and see if it makes a difference!
Victoria xx
P.S.
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