Breathing.

A simple thing we do each day and without thinking. But what most of us don’t realize is how we breathe affects our state of being. When we breathe from our chest and upper shoulders, our breathing is rapid and shallow. This breathing will cause our sympathetic nervous system to speed up and prepare our body for a term known as “fight or flight.” We need our “fight or flight” response when our body is being attacked and needs to defend itself. When we exercise using our cardiovascular system, it is common to breathe rapidly as the workout intensifies, but this can cause our pelvic floor muscles to tighten and not support our core system. What we want to do is perform deep, long breaths, belly breaths, where our stomach is moving up and down, and our chest is staying still. This breathing will allow for equal length to contraction of the pelvic supportive structures and make it easier to sustain endurance challenges. Try it next time you’re trying to run or bike up that tough hill.

Dr. Tarah Joseph

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