The secret to balance and a strong core: breath work!
/Hola todos and welcome to another fitness-style blog post. Today I’ll be sharing a key part of what has made my yoga practice and workouts stronger. It may sound simple but I promise that making time for some breath work before your movement routine will activate your core muscles, build heat within the body and increase oxygen levels- all of which should lead to improved performance.
First, let’s lay out what exactly I mean when referring to ‘breath work.’ In this case, breath work is defined as a series of breaths of about 20 repetitions with varying lengths or emphasis on each inhale or exhale. This could mean performing more yogic style pranayamas such as Kapalabhati or Bhastrika (if you’re interested in seeing what these look like then feel free to check out the video I made on it here), or something a bit more simple such as inhaling for six count and exhaling for six count. The important thing here is less which method you choose but rather that you are working to actively expand and contract the muscles of the abdomen as you inhale and exhale. Specifically, inflating the belly as you inhale and deflating it as you exhale.
If done properly, and at the beginning of your workout/ yoga practice, your core muscles should fire up and activate to be ready to stabilize the body. I’ve found this simple practice to be extremely useful in balancing postures, at targeting deep abdominal muscles and when working on arm balances such as forearm stand and handstand. Whether you’re looking to amp up your fitness routine or just want to maintain a strong midsection and lungs, I’d highly suggest adding in some form of breath work to your daily routine.
Below I have copied two versions of breath work practice that you could try out :)
Counted inhales and exhales (To increase oxygen within the body and bring attention to the core muscles)
Inhale for a count of 6
Hold the breath at the top for 3 count
Exhale for a count of 6
Hold the breath at the bottom for 3 count
Repeat for anywhere from 5-8 cycles
2. Kapalabhati & Bhastrika (Used to activate the core muscles and massage internal organs *best when done first thing in the morning before consuming any food*)
See the full video with instruction here
*I also like to practice Nauli Kriya each morning as it has similar effects to Kapalabhati and Bhastrika but it is a bit more advanced and requires consistent practice. If you’re interested in seeing more on this feel free to check out the video here).
There are many kinds of breath work out there, all with different purposes (i.e. calm the body, energize the body, cleanse internal organs, prepare for sleep, etc.), so I suggest you find which kind suits you for your goal and then incorporate it into your routine daily. Most of us lead such busy lives that we rarely have a free minute to just breathe. By carving out five to ten minutes each day designated for this, you’ll be able to hone in on your breath and give your body the benefits of this type of practice.
Thank you for stopping by this week and I really hope that you enjoyed this post and took something valuable away :)
Until next time,
Alexandra