Tips for Pilates Breathing with Amy Havens | Pilates Anytime

Summary

In this informative session, Amy introduces Pilates breathing techniques, emphasizing their importance for purification, oxygenation, and circulation. She explains the difference between Pilates breathing and regular breathing, highlighting the need to avoid belly puffing and instead focus on deep abdominal muscles for spinal stability. Amy uses a bag of rice to visually demonstrate proper technique and guides viewers through exercises like the 'breathing 100' to illustrate the integration of breath control in Pilates movements. The session concludes with an invitation to subscribe for more Pilates content and access to virtual classes.

Takeaways

• 🧘 Pilates emphasizes six general principles, with breathing being the foundational element.
• 🌬 Joseph Pilates, the founder, was particularly interested in breathing techniques due to his childhood asthma.
• 📝 A famous quote by Joseph Pilates is 'Above All Else, learn how to breathe correctly', highlighting the importance of proper breathing.
• 🌀 Pilates breathing aims for purification, oxygenation, and circulation, promoting blood flow and body heat.
• 🚫 Pilates breathing should not involve 'belly puffing', which can lead to back arching or spine destabilization.
• 💪 The technique conditions deep abdominal muscles that are crucial for spine control and stabilization.
• 🤔 Concentration is key in Pilates breathing, as it requires focus on not puffing the belly during inhalation and exhalation.
• 🤲 A physical demonstration using a bag of rice illustrates the difference between Pilates breathing and other forms of breathing.
• 🦵 The script demonstrates how to integrate Pilates breathing with leg exercises to engage the core muscles effectively.
• 🔄 The 'breathing 100' is an example of a classical Pilates exercise that combines movement with controlled breathing.
• 🌡 The breathing exercises are meant to warm up the body and increase blood flow, preparing for further physical activity.
• 📚 The video encourages learning the correct way to breathe as a fundamental takeaway from the Pilates practice.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of the discussion in the provided transcript?

The primary focus of the discussion is Pilates breathing and its importance in the Pilates technique, which is different from regular fitness routines.

What are the six general principles of Pilates mentioned in the transcript?

The six general principles of Pilates mentioned are breathing, control, concentration, centering, fluid movement, and precision.

Why was breathing particularly important to Joseph Pilates?

Breathing was particularly important to Joseph Pilates because he had asthma as a child, and he believed in the power of correct breathing for health and well-being.

What is the famous quote by Joseph Pilates about breathing?

The famous quote by Joseph Pilates about breathing is 'Above All Else, learn how to breathe correctly.'

What are the benefits of Pilates breathing mentioned in the transcript?

The benefits of Pilates breathing include purification, oxygenation, circulation, increased body heat, and setting a rhythm for the workout.

How does Pilates breathing differ from normal breathing?

Pilates breathing differs from normal breathing in that it involves expansion and contraction through the whole torso, focusing on the ribcage and oblique muscles, rather than just the abdominals.

What is the purpose of using a bag of rice in the demonstration?

The bag of rice is used as a visual aid to demonstrate the incorrect 'puffing' of the belly during breathing, which is not the desired effect in Pilates.

What is the role of deep abdominal muscles in Pilates breathing?

The deep abdominal muscles play a crucial role in stabilizing the spine and lower trunk during Pilates breathing, helping to prevent back arching or spine destabilization.

How does the transcript describe the process of Pilates breathing during an exercise?

The transcript describes Pilates breathing during an exercise as a process of expansion and contraction, focusing on breathing sideways and engaging the deep abdominal muscles to stabilize the body.

What is the '100' exercise mentioned in the transcript?

The '100' exercise is a classical Pilates exercise that involves vigorous arm movements while maintaining control and abdominal engagement, with a specific breathing pattern of five inhales and five exhales.

What is the final takeaway message from the transcript about breathing?

The final takeaway message is that in doubt, one should learn how to breathe correctly, emphasizing the importance of proper breathing technique in Pilates and overall health.

Outlines

00:00

🧘 Introduction to Pilates Breathing Techniques

Amy introduces the concept of Pilates breathing, emphasizing its importance in the Pilates technique. She explains that Pilates is based on six general principles, with breathing being the foundational element. Amy highlights Joseph Pilates' personal interest in breathing due to his childhood asthma, and his famous quote advocating correct breathing. She uses a bag of rice to demonstrate the proper way to breathe in Pilates, which involves expanding and contracting the entire torso, not just the belly. The goal is to avoid 'belly puffing' and to engage the deep abdominal muscles for spine stabilization. Amy also mentions the benefits of Pilates breathing, such as purification, oxygenation, and circulation, which are crucial for warming up the body and preparing for exercise.

05:01

🏋️‍♀️ Integrating Pilates Breathing with Movement

In this paragraph, Amy continues to elaborate on Pilates breathing by integrating it with physical movements. She describes how to perform leg lifts while maintaining the correct breathing technique, focusing on not puffing the belly and engaging the deep abdominal muscles to stabilize the spine. Amy then adds arm movements to the exercise, referencing the classical Pilates exercise known as 'the 100,' which involves vigorous side-to-side arm movements synchronized with breath control. She explains the importance of this exercise in warming up the body, getting the blood pumping, and generating body heat, which is essential for starting any exercise routine. Amy concludes by encouraging viewers to learn the correct way to breathe and to subscribe to the channel for more Pilates content, mentioning Pilates Anytime as a virtual studio offering a variety of classes.

Keywords

💡Pilates

Pilates is a form of low-impact exercise that emphasizes physical strength, flexibility, and mental awareness through controlled movements. In the video, Pilates is the central theme, with Amy discussing the unique breathing techniques and principles associated with it. The script mentions that Pilates exercises aim to implement various principles, such as control, concentration, and fluid movement.

💡Breathing

Breathing in the context of the video refers to the specific technique used in Pilates to enhance the exercises' effectiveness. It is defined as a method of purification, oxygenation, and circulation, which is essential for warming up the body and increasing blood flow. Amy emphasizes the difference between Pilates breathing and normal breathing, highlighting the importance of not puffing the belly and focusing on lateral expansion.

💡Control

Control is one of the six general principles of Pilates mentioned in the script. It implies the need for precision and deliberate movement during Pilates exercises. Amy illustrates control by demonstrating how to breathe without puffing the belly, which requires concentration and the activation of deep abdominal muscles to stabilize the spine.

💡Concentration

Concentration is another of Pilates' six principles and is vital for performing Pilates exercises correctly. It involves focusing one's mind on the movements and the breath. In the script, Amy talks about the need for concentration when practicing Pilates breathing to avoid the belly from puffing out and to engage the deep abdominal muscles.

💡Centering

Centering in Pilates refers to the concept of focusing on and stabilizing the core muscles, which are essential for overall body strength and balance. The script mentions centering as a principle that is implemented in Pilates exercises, with Amy demonstrating how to breathe and move with the intention of engaging the core.

💡Fluid Movement

Fluid movement is a principle of Pilates that emphasizes smooth, continuous motions. It is one of the general principles that Amy mentions in the script, stating that Pilates exercises, whether on the mat or equipment, should incorporate this principle to achieve a harmonious and graceful workout.

💡Precision

Precision in Pilates is about performing exercises with exactness and accuracy. It is one of the six principles that Amy discusses, indicating that every movement in Pilates should be done with care to ensure the proper engagement of muscles and to prevent injury.

💡Deep Abdominal Muscles

Deep abdominal muscles, such as the transversus abdominis, are crucial for spinal stability and core strength. In the script, Amy explains that Pilates breathing is designed to condition these muscles, which helps in controlling the spine and stabilizing the lower trunk during exercises.

💡Stabilization

Stabilization is a key concept in Pilates, which involves maintaining a steady position or posture during exercises. Amy demonstrates how proper breathing techniques contribute to stabilization by engaging the deep abdominal muscles and preventing unwanted movement, such as arching the back.

💡Pilates Anytime

Pilates Anytime is mentioned in the script as a virtual Pilates studio offering classes online. It represents a modern approach to practicing Pilates, allowing individuals to access classes at various levels and times that suit their schedules. Amy encourages viewers to subscribe for access to full classes, tutorials, and workshops.

💡Breathing 100

The Breathing 100 is a specific Pilates exercise mentioned in the script, which involves vigorous arm movements synchronized with controlled breathing. Amy uses this exercise as an example to show how Pilates breathing can be integrated into movement, emphasizing the importance of abdominal control and the avoidance of gyration.

Highlights

Introduction to the unique style of breathing used in Pilates, which may differ from conventional fitness routines.

Pilates is based on six general principles, with breathing being the foundational element.

Joseph Pilates' personal interest in breathing due to his childhood asthma is highlighted.

Emphasis on the quote 'Above All Else, learn how to breathe correctly' as a core belief in Pilates.

Pilates breathing aims for purification, oxygenation, and improved circulation.

Demonstration of Pilates breathing using a bag of rice to illustrate the expansion and contraction of the torso.

Explanation of how Pilates breathing engages the oblique muscles and inner costals, not just the abdominals.

Avoidance of 'belly puffing' to prevent back arching and spine destabilization.

The role of deep abdominal muscles in conditioning and stabilizing the spine during Pilates exercises.

Technique of breathing sideways to engage internal abdominal muscles without puffing the belly.

Practical exercise of holding a leg up while practicing Pilates breathing to engage deep abdominal muscles.

The importance of concentration during Pilates breathing to avoid unnecessary movements.

Combining Pilates breathing with leg and arm movements for a full-body workout.

Introduction of the classical Pilates exercise known as 'the 100' which incorporates vigorous arm movements with controlled breathing.

Transcripts

hi this is Amy and I'm here to just kind

of break down a little bit of discussion

about Pilates breathing and uh just kind

of inform a little bit about the style

of breath that we choose to use with the

Pilates technique that might be a little

bit different than what you're used to

in Fitness uh in your Fitness routine

but before I do that I want to Pilates

we work with General six principles

general principles one is breathing the

number one uh control concentration

centering fluid movement or FL

and precision and in all of the Pilates

exercises whether they're on the mat or

the equipment we do try to implement all

of those principles if not all of them

most of them in every exercise but the

very basis is the breath and Joseph

Pilates was incredibly interested in

breathing and he had asthma as a child

among other things so breathing was huge

for him and there's a famous quote that

I've read many times Above All Else

learn how to breathe correctly

and I really truly believe in that and

so if you don't get anything out of this

maybe you'll take a little takeaway of

the difference with Pilates breathing

and normal breathing so why we do this

it's purification oxygenation

circulation we want a lot of blood flow

we want to clean our our blood um get

lots of body heat and a lot of the ways

to do that is through the breathing um

it doesn't have to be loud it doesn't

have to be vigorous but sometimes in our

classes you'll hear us breathing loud so

it kind of gets gets us motivated and

energized uh and also sets a rhythm but

what I've got here is a bag of rice it's

just a little demonstration for us and

I'm going to have I'm going to start

this way so I'm going to put my hands

right on the side of my rib cage up high

by the side of my lungs basically and

I'm going to push in into my body a

little bit put it push in now Pilates

breathing is really intended to expand

and contract through the whole of the

Torso not just focusing on the

abdominals but the oblique muscles which

are abdominals but the inner costals

which are the ribs which go all the way

around our upper trunk so if I have my

hands here and try to expand into my

hands there's a stretching that takes

place and then the

exhale is the contraction so Pilates is

the

expansion and the

contraction in all directions really but

primarily I'm thinking right now

sideways

and also into my back Pilates breathing

is not belly puffing up and down or

forward and back which would look

something like this and this is where

the bag of rice comes in handy I'm going

to set it on my tummy just as a visual

aid really and if I do a different kind

of breathing might look like

this and you can see that I'm I'm

puffing I call it puffing my

belly and the reason why we don't want

to do that is it might even cause a

little arch in the back or Rock The

Spine and destabilize so one another

layer of the breathing or principle of

the breathing is to condition the Deep

abdominal muscles which control the

spine and stabilize through the lower

trunk big principle in Pilates as well

as the stabilization so if I avoid the

belly poofing when I

breathe I actually have to find and feel

and Connect into internal uh muscles

inside my abdominal region and now can I

try to breathe in and out without

puffing

this which takes another principle known

as

concentration I have to really think

about not Rising through that cavity

there so you might even put your hands

back up on the side of the ribs and try

to breathe

sideways so the inhale is the

expansion

and the exhale is the

contraction all right so kind of let's

play around with that a little bit so

what I'm going to try to do is hold

bring one leg up I'm just going to raise

my thigh up and actually can even relax

my foot a little bit and try to hold

that leg up and I'm going to do three

breath Cycles in and out without

puffing and again the the exhalation is

the contraction where I want to have you

feel the Deep abdominal muscles going to

work to stabilize so that I don't reuff

this uh up and if I do my other

[Music]

leg all righty and I'm going to bring

both legs up for a minute now this takes

a lot more strength within the core of

the body to hold the weight of both legs

up and then I want to work on

controlling this section of me while I

breathe and try to feel feel like I'm

breathing sideways

again and I definitely am feeling

muscles in my abdominal so it's a great

way to get at your abs just by learning

how to

breathe now I'm going to add one more

layer to this and that's going to be

some additional movement with the arms

in fact I'll put the feet back down and

so I'm GNA do somewhat of a vigorous

motion up and down and you'll see this

in the classical exercise known as the

100 or the breathing

100 and so if I weren't working on that

concept there of the the control in the

abdominals it could get a little gyrated

and kind of out of control there so by

holding this weight down and feeling my

abdominals I'm going to focus on that

side to side

breathing

I am feeling the center of my body and I

am feeling my body warming up meaning my

blood is pumping I feel the heat really

I don't feel my blood pumping so much as

I feel hot I'm feeling like I'm getting

heated

up and no better way to start a warmup

of any exercise regime than to warm

yourself up and get your body warm and

your blood warm and so this is the

classical exercise known as the 100

there are 100 beats there's a five

inhale and five exhales 3 four

five 3 four five and so on and so on

until you get to 100 so that's just one

example one small example of the Pilates

breathing uh you'll see that in every

exercise sometimes there's a very direct

inhale in a certain exercise for a very

specific exhale in a certain movement

and that again is to connect into the

strength of your abdominals and the uh

Safety and Security of your spine so I

hope you've learned a little bit a

little takeaway when in doubt learn how

to breathe correctly thank

you thank you for watching this episode

and please subscribe to our Channel if

you haven't done so already for access

to full Pilates classes tutorials and

workshops go to Pilates anytime.com see

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