So, do you want to learn my number one CORE and stress-less hack? Belly breathing. The best part about belly breathing is that not only will your posture and core benefit, but your stress hormones will also improve, and all you need to do is breathe right!

Poor posture, forward head posture, rounded shoulders, and slumped spine decreases the space for breath to fill the body. When hunched over, you cannot take a deep breath, and the ribs do not move freely. In the slouching posture, your body compensates by using your chest and neck muscles to breathe, which can lead to neck pain and headaches. Often, if poor posture continues, you will start to notice your CORE isn’t doing its job, which will cause lower back pain and pelvic floor dysfunction.

What do you think you need to do when someone tells you that you need to relax? Meditate? What is meditation focused around? Inhalation and exhalation, your breathwork is the foundation. A good deep breath of air is so relaxing because it brings a ton of oxygen into the brain, and that oxygen causes deep relaxation. A shallow breath makes your body feel oxygen deprived, increasing your stress hormone called cortisol. Shallow breathing activates the fight or flight system of the body, called the sympathetic nervous system, and deep breaths activate the relaxation/digestion system of the body, called the parasympathetic. When your fight or flight is in overdrive, your body is always on high alert. The body has a lot of trouble doing anything other than running or fighting that stressor. Those under constant stress often have poor digestion, poor sleep, brain fog, aches and pains, and hormonal issues. 

But wait, there is something you can do that will immediately make you relax. BELLY BREATH enters center stage.

Sit upright with your diaphragm directly over your pelvic floor. Pull your ribs down, so your lower back is not arched. Place your hands on your lower ribs. Breathing in, feel your hands move away from each other, and your belly fill with air. At the same time, imagine your pelvic floor is an elevator; when you breathe in, it should be relaxed on the ground floor. As you breathe out, the pelvic floor rises to the sixth floor, your abdomen pulls in, and your ribs should knit together. Start each morning and end each day with five deep breath reps, and your body will stress less and thank you!