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Breathing

Get a Stronger Core By Just Breathing

September 13, 2018

The core. We all know that there is a lot of advice out there on how to change "the image" of the core. After all, we all want to look better and leaner, but the image isn't as important as how we feel. We want to look better because it makes us feel better. However, we need to remember that while it helps to look the best you've ever looked, we feel good because we feel strong. We also feel proud that we put the hard work in.

When I first had my son, I remember how embarrassed I was about my stomach. Knowing that I was holding myself up to harsh expectations helped to bring perspective, but it didn’t stop how I felt. If I was honest with myself, I was so proud of what my body had done, but I was also sad. It wasn't exactly that my pants didn't fit because my size didn't really matter. What mattered was how I felt about it. My stomach was out of shape and was too tender to touch. I struggled to do everyday things like sit up and maintain my posture. It was time for me to put the work in.

This is my story, but your story may be different. Maybe you're suffering from chronic low back pain and are looking for ways to help manage your pain or maybe you need to lessen the pain from sitting at your work desk all day. Whichever your story, you're here for some advice, and working on your core will help you like it helps me!

Many believe that the core consists of just the abdominal muscles, but this isn't exactly correct. The core consists of numerous muscles including back muscles, hip muscles, and the pelvic floor muscles. Having a healthy core means using all of these muscles correctly. This starts with the diaphragm.

Think of the diaphragm muscle as a foundation. When a foundation is strong, then the house stands tall. With a strong diaphragm, your posture is better because your core is working more efficiently.

So how do you strengthen the diaphragm by just breathing?

You can start by lying down. I like to do it right before I go to sleep at night. This helps all the postural muscles to relax and enables you to really focus on the diaphragm muscle. Your breathing should be slow and steady, in through your nose and out through your mouth. When you breathe in, feel your belly expand with the breath. If your belly is expanding, then you know you are using your diaphragm correctly!

Once you are comfortable doing this laying down, then you can do it sitting! I like to do this at my work desk. Make sure that you have good posture with your shoulders relaxed down and back. You can do a few shoulder rolls to make sure your shoulders are relaxed. Now, singling out the diaphragm in this position might be a little harder, so put a hand on your belly to be sure that it is expanding when you breathe in and relaxing back as you breathe out. Keep your breaths slow and steady just like when lying down.

That's all there is to it! The best thing about diaphragmatic breathing is that you can strengthen your diaphragm anywhere!

If you are having any pain and/or continued difficulties with sitting or keeping your posture, then come see us for some treatment! With the Atlas way, our friendly and dedicated staff can get you back to doing all the things you want and need to do in your life!


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Posted in Breathing on Sep 13, 2018