03/02/2026
I notice in my classes, that when the movement gets challenging, as much as the instruction from me will be about using the breath and Centring, the actual tendency of many, is to hold their breath. I caught myself doing this at the gym the other day too, whilst pushing out the last couple of reps using some quite heavy weights. It's the total opposite of what we do naturally, strange isn't it?
Breathing and Centring are key principals of Pilates, breathing in to prepare and breathing out on the exertion, then breathing in to recover. Centring adds in the dimension on the exhale, of pulling up the pelvic floor muscles and pulling in our navel as if to our spine. All done with the aid of the breath. So, even if you are sitting on the sofa reading this, take a big breath in and breathe, it's what keeps us alive and as I say in my class, every week - 'Please breathe, or you will die....and that's bad for my insurance' :)
