A quick breath check.
Breathing is the first movement pattern that we have, and arguably our most important movement pattern! An efficient breathing pattern is the foundation for all other movements that we do, including running. Our breathing patterns can change over time, depending on a variety of things, pregnancy being one of them. Other things that can affect our breathing patterns include stress, physical activity levels, pollution levels in the air, and even tightly fitting clothing. Sub-optimal breathing patterns can contribute to issues such as incontinence, poor core stability, decreased total volume of air we are able to inhale, and decreased fitness, among other things. Let’s talk about what makes up an efficient breathing pattern, how breathing mechanics change during and after pregnancy, and how to check and improve your own breathing patterns.
As we inhale, our diaphragm lowers down allowing our lungs to inflate fully. This descent of the diaphragm causes the pressure in our abdominal cavity to increase. To accommodate this pressure increase we need to let our belly and pelvic floor relax (imagine squeezing a balloon - the area where you squeeze it flattens while the other areas stretch). As we exhale, our diaphragm raises back up, which decreases the pressure in our abdominal cavity again, allowing our pelvic floor to raise back up and our belly to come back in (imagine releasing your grip on the balloon). This cycle of movement and pressure management repeats itself every time we take a breath and contributes significantly to our core stability.
Our breathing movement pattern is the most efficient when our ribs are stacked over our pelvis, placing our diaphragm on top of our pelvic floor - more or less parallel with each other. If our pelvis tips forward, our ribs raise up and forward, or we grip our abdominals or pelvic floor, this movement pattern can get thrown off. When this happens it can contribute to inefficient breathing. (Now, it’s of course normal for our bodies to move in a variety of ways throughout the day, and we can absolutely breathe well in many different positions. The ribs stacked over pelvis position is a position that should feel very natural, comfortable, and strong, and one we should be able to come back to frequently throughout the day.)
If you have been pregnant, your breathing mechanics likely changed during the third trimester. Often, to make room for your growing baby, your pelvis may tilt forward, your ribs will swing up and forward, and your shoulders may raise as you inhale. Postpartum, your breathing mechanics may go right back to how they were prior to pregnancy, or they may continue as they were during the third trimester. Let’s check in with our bodies and look at some tips to find out how well we’re breathing.
Stand in front of a mirror and look at your face, ribs, shoulders and belly.
Is your belly moving out as you inhale, and back in as you exhale?
Are your shoulders moving up as you inhale, and back down as you exhale?
Do you see your ribs widening as you inhale?
Is your mouth open or closed?
Now that you’ve noticed how you’re moving when you breathe, let’s talk about what is typically the most efficient way to breathe.
Inhaling through the nose
Shoulders staying relaxed and not raising up as we inhale
Belly moving out gently as we inhale
Ribs expanding in a 360* direction as we inhale
Maybe you’re breathing perfectly, or maybe you discovered some areas that could be improved. Let’s go over a quick drill to practice allowing your diaphragm to descend fully, your belly soften and your shoulders remain relaxed.
Lay on your back with your knees bent, feet on the floor. Place one hand on your sternum and the other on your belly. Inhale through your nose and notice which hand raises first, and which hand raises the most. Ideally, the hand on your belly should raise first and move more than the hand on your sternum. The hand on your sternum should be relatively still. If this isn’t the case, think about breathing deep down into your lungs on the next few inhales. It is important that you don’t forcefully push your belly out - it should be a natural rise as you breathe deeply. Once you have practiced this a few times, you can practice the same thing sitting or standing.
Breathing is the first movement pattern we have, it’s the movement we do the most, and it helps us become strong, efficient runners. Use the checklist above to check in with your breathing every now and then to make sure you’re doing it as efficiently as possible!