Your breath is a primary core stabilizer. Abdominal muscles, the ones you know — your rectus abdominus, obliques, and the transverse abdominus are all muscles of exhalation. This isn’t esoteric stuff, any introductory textbook on functional anatomy, like Andrew Biel’s Trail Guide to the Body (p.467), will list these muscles of exhalation.
Before you lift your head, before you roll over, before you sit up or crawl around (all fantastic developmental exercises for proper core function that I use with my clients) you breathe.
From the moment you leave your mother body and enter the world, you breathe. And as you breathe, you learn to use your core musculature. A baby’s long wail is an extended exhale. And with the balancing of inhalation and exhalation comes control of intra-abdominal pressure – stabilizing your pelvis and ribcage in relation to each other so that your limbs can move to feel supported and free. This often will result in greater strength and mobility through the limbs.
Breathing is a high priority for motor control. It is also a conscious entry point into our autonomic nervous system, which makes it incredibly powerful on many levels. Most client complaints direct me to assess breathing. This is especially true if you come to me with complaints of back pain, lack of balance, and inability to stabilize your core. To align yourself and relieve your pain, the most important key might be learning to breathe better; as you breathe better, you will find your center, and connect to your power.
All Integrative Movement Therapy services are provided under the scope of practice of Registered Massage Therapy in Ontario as per the regulations of the CMTO, and are thus eligible for insurance coverage for massage therapy.