4 WAYS TO FIRE UP YOUR BELLY
Today’s guest post comes from Gavin McHale, a certified exercise physiologist from Winnipeg, Canada. He attended a workshop I did in Minneapolis with Dean Somerset and wanted to share what he learned. Here’s a breakdown of how changing the way you breathe can help you tidy up your shoulders and hips, lift more weight, and relax more easily.
Breathing as a foundation
We live in a high-stress world that keeps the fight-or-flight part of our nervous system activated. This tends to suppress the rest-and-digest system, which is important for recovery and relaxation. The diaphragm, our main breathing muscle, should be doing most of the work, but modern life often makes us rely on the chest and neck muscles instead. Diaphragmatic, or belly, breathing helps balance the body’s stress response and can address movement issues.
When you breathe correctly, the diaphragm contracts and the lungs fill. The belly should rise as the abdomen expands. If you breathe mostly with the chest, you limit chest and abdominal expansion and weaken core stability. Resetting how you breathe isn’t just about comfort—it can improve how your body moves and reduces the risk of problems in the neck, shoulders, back, and hips.
Why this matters
Using the right breathing pattern helps the muscles we should use for breathing work together with the rest of the core. A well-functioning diaphragm supports stability, which in turn supports better movement in the limbs.
Testing and re-testing
Below are several checks you can try. Test a movement, correct it with a breathing drill, and then re-test to see if things improved. If they did, great. If not, you may need to dig a little deeper. The breathing cues are included at the end of the article.
1) Shoulder issues
Many people experience shoulder pain and dysfunction. Improving technique, training the right way, and opening up the thoracic spine can help, but breathing also plays a key role. Here are two tests to spot where problems may lie and how to correct them.
Shoulder Test/Re-Test #1: Active and Passive Shoulder Flexion
– For a clear view, test with the shirt off so you can see how the shoulder blades move.
– Stand with your back against a wall, feet about hip-width apart. Lift your arms overhead in front of you, keeping your ribcage down, your back flat against the wall, and your head in a neutral position.
– How high did your arms reach? Was there any pain?
– The passive version is the same test performed lying on your back with knees bent and feet flat. Keep the ribcage down and the lower back pressed to the floor.
Shoulder Test/Re-Test #2: Scapulo-Humeral Rhythm
– Stand in the same position, then raise your arms overhead by your sides and try to touch the backs of your hands together above your head.
– As you move, the shoulder blades should rotate about 60 degrees while the upper arm bone (humerus) rotates about 120 degrees, giving a total of 180 degrees of shoulder motion.
– If there’s pain, consult a healthcare professional. If the scapula isn’t moving correctly, gently help it move toward the correct position. If pain continues, seek a professional assessment.
2) Back issues
Back pain is common, and many people worry about lifting and moving safely. The connection between the back and shoulders involves the thoracolumbar fascia, with the lats and glutes playing major roles in shoulder and hip function. If you have trouble reaching your arms overhead, you might also have back issues, and vice versa.
Back Test/Re-Test #1: Active Straight Leg Raise
– Lie on your back with legs straight. Lift one leg as high as you can without bending the knee or causing pain. Note how high you can go. A good score is 90 degrees with no movement in the opposite leg.
Back Test/Re-Test #2: Passive Hip Rotation
– Lie on your back with legs straight and lift one leg. Bend the knee to 90 degrees and move the hip into external rotation (foot toward the opposite hip) and internal rotation (foot away from that hip) while supporting the knee. Note the angle you can achieve for each movement. A good score is about 90 degrees of external rotation from the midline and 45 degrees for internal rotation.
Lifting heavy
When you’ve done heavy squats or deadlifts and kept your back safe, you know the core must be built with real tension. The diaphragm is key to stabilizing the core, forming the top of the “core box” and working with the obliques, the pelvic floor, and other deep abdominal muscles. Being able to breathe well while keeping abdominal pressure high is crucial for lifting heavy.
Relaxation
Our busy lives can make relaxation and sleep hard. The breathing work discussed here can help you relax and improve sleep, not just movement. These drills can support better recovery and set the stage for staying tense and focused during heavy lifts.
Breathing correctives
Prone crocodile breathing
If you’re new to diaphragmatic breathing, start here, especially if you scored poorly on tests or you’re eager to lift more weight safely.
Prone lengthening
This drill is useful for shoulder issues and helpful when you’ve struggled with shoulder flexion and scapulo-humeral movement. It can help release a tight serratus anterior, which supports upward rotation of the scapula.
Crook-lying belly breathing
A great beginner drill, with the lower back supported. It provides external feedback and is ideal for belly breathing, allowing the belly to fully expand. It’s also helpful for lower back and hip issues.
Quadruped breathing
This drill is beneficial for improving scapular rotation when moving overhead. It helps the serratus anterior work more effectively, which can relieve issues and guide future focus.
There you have it—a clear look at what to look for and how to improve it simply by changing how you breathe. If you’re a trainer, try these yourself and see which cues work best for you. Let me know what you discover.
