I don’t know about you, but I’ve made a ton of mistakes over the years.

One of the big mistakes when I first started coaching breathing exercises was cuing everyone to “take a big, deep breath into their belly.”

While the intention is good, I think more times than not, you don’t get what you want to out of the movement.

But you want to know the worst part?

If you exaggerate it, you can put the body in a worse position than when you started!

So in today’s video, we’re going to discuss why you should STOP belly breathing, and what to do instead.

A few things to note:

• Setting a position of exhalation first is key. Don’t take a big inhale on top of a bad starting position!
• Take a normal breath of air in. Trying to take in a ton of air is normal if you’ve just done an aerobic power test, but not appropriately when you’re trying to improve breathing mechanics.
• Last but not least, intact abs are crucial! If the abs are in the right position and engaged, it’s easy to drive air throughout the upper back, lower back, and even the chest walls. If not, air is going to follow the path of least resistance – which often means pushing the abs out, and putting the body in a poor position.

I hope you enjoy the video, and have a great day!

All the best,
MR