How switching up your breathing can affect your workout.
Breath is in many ways the root of everything. Without it, we can’t live, so we certainly can’t work out. If you’ve been to a yoga or pilates class before, you may have noticed that breathing comes up a lot in both of these spaces. How you’re breathing, when you’re breathing, and what those choices can do for you plays a massive role in both yoga and pilates.
But do you realize that when we talk about breathing in yoga classes and in pilates classes, we aren’t actually talking about the same thing? Aside from the whole staying alive thing, yoga and pilates are aiming to utilize your breath in different ways and to do so they encourage you to breathe in different ways. In fact, Promise Pilates goes so far as to say breathing is the main thing that separates the two workouts. Today, lets go over the goal of breathing in each respective place and how this in turn
The Goal of Yoga Breathing
They type of breathing we practice in yoga is “designed to create a relaxing sensation in your core,” as shared by Les Mills. Other goals of this breathing include deepening the mind and body connection, moving energy through the body, engaging the parasympathetic nervous system, and finding balance. The type of breathing we practice in yoga is often referred to as diaphragmatic breathing.
The Goal of Pilates Breathing
In pilates, your breathing will help activate your core. In fact, as explained by Pilates Anytime, all exercises in pilates should start with activating your core, including using this type of breathing. Goals of this type of breathing include relaxing and releasing tension from your chest and shoulders while activating your abs. A common name for this type of breathing is lateral breathing.
How to Breathe for Yoga
When you’re breathing in yoga, you’ll likely breathe through your nose and you’ll want to focus on breathing deep into your stomach. Specifically, you want to expand your belly on the inhale and contract it on the exhale. Focus on making these breaths rhythmic and relaxing into the rhythm.
How to Breathe for Pilates
On the other hand, when you’re breathing in pilates, you want to breath in through your nose then draw that air into your ribs and expand your ribs laterally. Then, you want to exhale through your mouth. When properly practicing this sort of breathing, you might literally be able to see your rib cage expand as it fills with air.
Main Differences & Similarities
In yoga, breathing should relax your abs while in pilates breathing should engage them. You can practice yoga breathing even when sitting still, though we do often pair breath with movement while in pilates breath is designed to help you better execute your movements.
No matter which type of breathing you’re practicing, if you want to get some more practice in stop by one of our classes at Oxygen Yoga & Fitness. Your instructor will be more than happy to help you along your breathing journey.