Abdominal Training & Breathing Re-Training (Clinical)

Abdominal Training & Breathing Re-Training (Clinical)

While in the Unloaded position, perform the following:

Abdominal Training:

  • Imagine that the following landmarks form 6 points on a wheel:
  • 1 & 2 - Right & Left lower ribs
  • 3 - Xiphoid Process
  • 4 & 5 - Right & Left ASIS
  • 6 - Pubic Bone
  • (centre of the wheel is the umbilicus)
  • While maintaining a gentle lumbar lordosis and not moving the torso or pelvis, perform the following isometric contractions:

1.Draw R rib towards L ASIS (points 1 to 5)

2.Draw L rib towards R ASIS (points 2 to 4)

3.Draw R rib towards R ASIS (points 1 to 4)

4.Draw L rib towards L ASIS (points 3 to 5)

5.Draw xiphoid towards the pubic bone (or vice versa)

6.Draw any point towards the umbilicus

7.Draw all 6 points towards the umbilicus simultaneously.

Breathing Re-Training:

1.  Balloon Breath

Lie on your back as in Unloaded Position.  Place your hands lightly on your belly.  Make a “V” with your hands and place your thumbs just above your navel and point your fingertips towards the pubic bone.  Feel your body movement as you breathe.  Pretend that you have a balloon in your belly.  As you breathe IN, blow UP the balloon.  As you breathe OUT, DEFLATE the balloon.  Press out against your hands as you breathe in and then press in gently with your hands to assist the breath out.

Practice this technique 5-10 minutes (or more) before and after your exercise session.

 

2.  Lower Rib Cage Breath

Place your hands lightly on the sides of your rib cage, fingertips pointed up.  As you breathe IN, expand the lower ribs against your hands. As you breathe OUT, press gently with your hands to assist the breath out.

 

3.  Upper Rib Cage Breath

Place your hands high up on your chest, just below the notch between the collar bones.  As you breathe IN, expand the upper ribs against your hands.  As you breathe OUT, press gently with your hands to assist the breath out.

 

4.  Three Part Breath

Place one hand on your belly (lower abdomen) and the other hand on your upper rib cage.  As you breathe IN, breathe in by expanding the belly first, then the lower rib cage, then the upper rib cage.  Reverse the movement on the breath out.

ADD: resistance to any breathing exercise with hands or theraband to make breathing a resistance exercise for the muscles of rib cage.

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