Respire Bonus: Day 4

Outline:

Equipment needed:

  • – None.

Complete 10 repetitions and 1-3 sets of each exercise.

  • 1. Transverse Abdominal Breathing
  • 2. Pelvic Floor Elevators
  • 3. 90-90 Breathing
  • 4. Dead Bug Foot Taps
  • 5. Overhead Reches

1. Transverse Abdominal Breathing

Activate and coordinate your pelvic floor with your transverse abdominis.

  • – Lying on your back with one hand above and the other below your belly button.
  • – Take a deep inhalation through your nose.
  • – Make sure to breathe deep into your back body filling all the spaces in your lunges so your abdomen and diaphragm expand.
  • – Exhale.
  • – open your mouth and say “HA” while doing so pull your ribs together and narrow your waistline.

2. Pelvic Floor Elevators

Learn how to connect with your pelvic floor in isolation.

  • – Lie on your back in a relaxed position.
  • – Relax your jaw, neck and shoulders.
  • – Inhale and on the exhale imagine your pelvic floor lifting up as if it where an elevator.
  • – Raise it to the 1st floor (level of the pubic bone).
  • – Raise if to the 2nd floor (level between pubic bone and navel).
  • – Raise it to the 3rd floor (level of the navel).
  • – Relax and fully release the pelvic floor before beginning again.
  • – If you feel your thighs, glutes, toes or any part of your body tensing, release and start again.

3. 90-90 Breathing

This exercise will help you connect with your deeper abdominal corset, the transverse abdominals.

  • – Lie on your back with the feet on a wall, with knees bent to 90 degrees. Neck and spine should be “neutral” and comfortable.
  • – Place one hand on the upper chest and one hand on the lower abdomen.
  • – Inhale through the nose slowly for a count of 3 or 4.
  • – Focus on “360° breathing”, fill your lungs so that the air pushes through your back and the sides of your ribs are expanding with each inhalation.
  • – Exhale through the mouth slowly but with force for a count of 6 or 8.
  • – You will feel your transverse abdominals engage as you exhale.

4. Dead Bug Foot Taps

This exercise helps to strengthen the muscles along the spine, the deep transvers abdominis and activates the pelvic floor.

  • – Lie on your back with your arms and your legs straight up towards the ceiling. Bend your knees at a 90-degree angle.
  • – Lower leg toward the floor slowly and with control.
  • – Return to center and then repeat on the other side.

5. Overhead Reaches

With this exercise we will begin to engage the upper abdominals.

  • – Lie on your back with bent knees.
  • – Press your lower ribs and lower back into the floor.
  • – Raise your arms overhead and touch the floor.
  • – Keep your ribs from flaring and your lower back from lifting.
  • – Return to the start position.