Breathing Exercises
to Improve Muscle Tone
The following exercises may be done in any order as often as you wish – once a day? Three times a week? See what you can fit easily into your lifestyle and schedule.
Phase 2 of our breathing programme involves a comprehensive set of simple exercises to improve tone and strengthen the muscles used for breathing.
Each exercise has a different function, working on a different part of the breathing mechanism; so try to do them all, either as a complete routine, or over separate sessions.
The secret to success with all these exercises is to co-ordinate the breath with the movement. This means that each movement should take the same amount of time as the breath; start the movement and start the inhalation simultaneously. By the time you have finished your inhalation, you should also have completed the movement associated with that inhalation. Similarly with the exhalation.
NOTE: As you work with these exercises and become familiar with the movements, focus on slowing everything down. Make each breath as slow and smooth, as you are able. It is particularly important to think in terms of slowing down the OUTBREATH, as this is the phase of the breath that brings RELAXATION.
Exercise 1
Stand upright, with arms by sides, back of hands facing to the front. As you inhale take the straight (but not rigid) arms directly forward and raise them up as far as possible, finishing with the hands above the head if you can. The palms will now be facing forwards. As you exhale bring the straight arms forward and down to rest by your sides once more. Repeat 4-5 times.
Exercise 2
Stand upright, arms by sides. Turn palms to face out to the sides. With the inhalation, raise the arms sideways and up as far as possible, until the arms are by the ears. Palms face each other as if you were holding a block between the hands. Keep the shoulders down.
Turn palms to face outward. Exhale to take arms sideways and down, to return to the start position. Repeat 4-5 times.
Exercise 3
Start with arms raised to the front at shoulder height, palms facing each other. Release the shoulders down away from the ears. As you Inhale, open the arms out sideways and feel that the shoulders, arms, and hands are lengthening away from each other. Return to starting position on the Exhalation. Repeat 4-5 times.
Exercise 4
The same as Exercise 3 in form, but reversing the breathing. This encourages expansion of the back of the ribcage and aeration of the back section of the lungs. To get started, raise arms forward at shoulder level with palms facing each other. Take a breath IN. Now open out the arms sideways as you Exhale, and bring the arms forward on the Inhale. Imagine you are directing the breath into your middle back with each Inbreath. Repeat 4-5 times.
Exercise 5
Start in neutral position by sitting towards the front edge of a firm chair, with your feet slightly apart and well grounded on the floor. Chin should be parallel to floor, so that you are gazing directly forward. Rest the hands on the side edges of the seat just behind you.
As you Inhale, straighten arms to push chest forward and tailbone into seat of chair. Keep the gaze to the front and don’t lift the chin. Focus on lifting the breastbone forward and up, rather than pushing the tummy out.
On the Exhale, soften the arms and round your back by drawing in the tummy muscles, and directing your spine towards the chairback. Bring the chin softly towards your chest. Feel as if you are simply moving your chest backwards to reverse the forward thrust of the inhale movement. Try not to collapse the spine and lose the strength and power of the movement. Alternate between the two Inhale and Exhale movements, synchronizing them with your breathing, for 4-5 repetitions. Return to neutral position and rest for a few moments.
Stretching Exercises 1 through to 5 will prepare and prime the body for good quality breathing.
Revisiting them at regular intervals over a few weeks will have a dramatic effect on your posture, your mood, and your breathing.
You will probably also find that your breath rate begins to slow down, so that each movement is taking longer. This is an excellent sign that everything is starting to work well for you.
If you find any of these exercises particularly helpful or enjoyable, then revisit them whenever you want to, as you advance through the next Phases. They will always be useful to you - throughout this programme and beyond!
CAUTIONARY NOTE
Just like any exercise that engages muscles not frequently used, these breathing exercises may very easily make your arm muscles, chest muscles, diaphragm and tummy muscles let you know that they have been working! So when you first start them, don’t be surprised if you experience normal muscle ‘ache’ the next day. However, if you are at all concerned, then please do consult your doctor.
My advice to you is to approach them with the Yin/Yang balance of not too much and not too little; apply sufficient effort to work the muscles, but not so much effort that they stretch beyond their comfort zone. It’s much better by far to improve their condition gradually, rather than to think you can do it all in one ‘hit’. A small improvement each time will bring you the greatest rewards.
The next stage, Phase 3: Developing Conscious Control, will help you build on what you have practised so far and give you the ability to deliberately and consciously expand your thorax for improved respiration.
