Are You Full of Hot Air? (Video)

A common theme for many of our clients at IFAST is faulty diaphragmatic breathing patterns.

Often, people are so caught up on how to get air in, they forget (or don’t realize) how important it is to effectively get air out!

The video below will talk a little bit about how to fully exhale. This will help calm you down, improve your mood, and as we’ll discuss next week, improve your abdominal and core training as well.

Coaching Tips:

  • Bend the knees and place the feet either flat on the floor, or elevate them slightly on a 2-3″ surface.
  • The pelvis should be in posterior tilt, with the lower back flat on the ground.
  • Lengthen the neck and “tuck” your chin down.
  • Take a big breath in through the nose.
  • Exhale fully through the mouth. Think about getting all your air out.
  • At the end of each exhale, PAUSE for a 3-5 count.
  • Repeat 8-10 times.

Random Thoughts:

  • Belly breathing is just one part of good respiration! Instead of just the belly, think about taking air into the belly, rib cage, AND the chest.
  • Breathing is 3-D. When you are breathing effectively, you should feel your sides expand, as well as air getting pushed into your lower back!
  • The neck muscles should NOT be used for inspiration. If you struggle with this, think about lengthening the neck and tucking the chin.
  • Air out, not air in. The key here is to focus on forcefully exhaling, not necessarily drawing a bunch of air in. You should be working hard to do this!
  • Increase resistance. If you’re struggling with forceful exhalations, consider using a straw or balloon to help facilitate this process.

Next week, I’m going to show you how a full exhale can drive better abdominal and core training!

All the best,

MR


Back to All Posts