PT Personal Trainers

Learn to breathe better and your posture will thank you!

High levels of stress and increased responsibilities lead life to become a constant autopilot, which translates into postures and movements performed frailly. In Personal Trainers we know that today's daily responsibilities are more than many, but it is important to start integrating good posture habits, so that later one day you will not suffer the consequences...

Unlike to popular belief, breathing muscles do not only influence breathing. They have as primary function the respiratory process, but also help the movement of the peripheral joints. Therefrom the postural and respiratory changes go hand in hand.

Breathing is composed of two stages: inspiration and expiration.The first phase being actively aided by muscular contraction and the second phase being  passively, with the relaxation of the inspiratory muscles.

The main inspiratory muscle is the diaphragm and unfortunately most of us have diaphragmatic retraction. This retraction is no more than the shortening of muscle tissue and the restriction of his mobility and flexibility.

Anxiety situations, tension and fear cause us to tend to inhale rather than expire. It is common, therefore, that pains arise in the neck and shoulders, since the muscles located in these zones are also inspiratory and as such are continually utilized.

The poor mobility of the rib cage during the respiratory process and very pronounced curvatures in the cervical and lumbar region may be associated with pain in the back, especially in the thoracic region and in the upper lumbar region. These pains have origin from diaphragmatic retraction.

Physiotherapy through the concept of muscular chains, argues that the diaphragm attaches to other muscles through the muscular fascia. Therefore, when we do not breathe correctly, we not only damage the cardio-respiratory system, but also the entire musculoskeletal system, since it will have to be overloaded due to respiratory changes.

GPR (Global Postural Reeducation) is an excellent corrective method. This technique allows posture balancing and breathing. After detailed postural and respiratory analysis, the changes are identified and the objectives to be achieved are established. The GPR works with its own breathing that emphasizes the expiratory process, in order to reduce the diaphragmatic and inspiratory retraction and the consequent postural alterations.

Take advise with our physical therapist to figure out what you can do to help yourself!

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Pht. Lígia Santos text