You might hear me talk A LOT about piston breathing and maybe you have no idea why it matters or why I continuously bring it up. BUT implementing piston breathing into my daily movements is what helped me to build a strong core system (pelvic floor, transverse abs, diaphragm, & multifidus… these four things have to work together as a team). Having a strong core system helped me to heal my diastasis recti (ab separation) & it also helped me to reduce my prolapse symptoms.
WHAT IS PISTON BREATHING?
Piston breathing is a terminology used by physiotherapist Julie Wiebe, who is working so damn hard to provide better care for women during pregnancy and postpartum.
Piston breathing:
INHALE: inhale into your ribs & belly (not your chest…most of us are chest breathers, which is an indication of an imbalanced core system). When you inhale into your ribs & belly, your diaphragm moves down, as it should.
EXHALE: on the exhale your diaphragm will move up & you will lift your pelvic floor as you exhale out through your mouth (as if you are blowing through a straw).
***This may seem simple & it really is. Or it may seem confusing in which case you are probably over thinking it like I did. Either way, just know that piston breathing is an important factor in healing & in developing a strong/balanced core system. It’s important to implement piston breathing into your daily movements. I have posted two links below that have videos of how to implement piston breathing.
