In case you didn’t pick up on it, I've been on a kick to spread the word on how beneficial bracing and breathing is for our wellbeing. Why am I so fired up? Because it has helped me tremendously with my back issues! I can say with a few small changes in the past couple years, I feel stronger and have less pain at 45 years old than I did at 35, and I want to share this information with everyone!

Our recent blogs on breathing and bracing may seem like information overload, but the primary message is simple.

- Focus on your exhale breath to create abdominal tension, which will calm down your nervous system.

- Then inhale into your lower back ribs.   

Now of course, this is much easier said than done and is a motor skill that needs to be learned, practiced and integrated into your daily activities. I always use the analogy that intentional breathing is no different than learning to play an instrument. You need to practice your chords before you can strum with John Mayer.  Know what I mean?

Start in the position that is most comfortable for you: on your hands and knees, lying on your back, or standing with your back against the wall. Use the trick we talked about last week and place a belt around your lower ribs for tactile input to inhale into your lower back ribs.  Practice this often throughout your day to create the new motor pattern. Once it becomes easier and more accessible, integrate it into a static activity such as standing at the kitchen sink or while driving on your commute. (Remember exhale breath is great for stress and neck tension!) After some time you can incorporate it into higher level activities such as hiking or lifting hay bales. Then all of a sudden, you may notice that you feel stronger with less spine pain, have more tolerance of cardio activities and have less stress. Eureka!  See why I’m fired up?  

Written by Darcy Cook, MSPT