As an athletic mama, wherever you are in your fitness and motherhood journey, you'll know the importance of adapting your training to optimise your performance. Most of us also look for efficiency in our programming. We lead busy lives, especially if we have children already, our dedicated time to train and prepare for this birth is limited and often inconsistent. We need to get in, get it done and get out. No time to waste! I know how it is, mama. I get it.
And I still tell pregnant athletes they should prioritise breathwork in their training! Even though I know I'm going to get the biggest eyerolls...
Breathing exercises aren't fun or catchy, they're boring and come on, it's just breathing, right?! What difference could they possibly make to birth and recovery? I hear you... Give me 5 min, ok? Let me share with you what I have learned and teach you the foundational breathing technique I use in all my work with my clients. Keep reading and see if by the end of this post maybe, just maybe, you may also see the value of adding some breathwork to your training in pregnancy.
Why Breathwork Matters For Motherhood
Breathwork isn't just about relaxation—it's a fundamental aspect of preparing your body for childbirth and supporting postnatal recovery. By
practicing targeted breathing exercises, you can:
- Strengthen Core Muscles: Specific breathing techniques engage the deeper layers of your abdominal muscles, particularly the transverse abdominis which plays a crucial role in birth (these is the muscle that pushes your baby out together with your uterus), postpartum recovery and diastasis healing.
- Enhance Mind-Body Awareness and Control: Breathwork fosters a deeper connection between your mind and your body. With practice you become more aware of the tensions you hold and you gain new control over releasing and contracting different core muscle groups. This can be a game changer through birth!
- Train your Nervous System: Consciously focusing on your breath can help alleviate stress and tension, allowing you to navigate the physical and emotional challenges of labour and postnatal recovery with greater ease. There is a huge amount of neuroscience research on this and you can train to use it for your advantage through the physical and mental challenges of becoming a mum.
- Speed up Your Return to Fitness Postpartum: Breathwork will be the starting point for your return to fitness. After birth you'll need to retrain the coordination in your core and pelvic floor before increasing its demands with weights and higher impact. Increasing awareness and control of your core system in pregnancy will make this process much easier and quicker for you after birth.
The Foundational Breath
Here's a step by step guide for the breathing technique I use as the foundation of all the work my clients do in pregnancy and after birth. From specific pushing techniques to returning to lifting and high impact breathing strategies all start from mastering this foundational breath first. Give this a try...
1. Find a Comfortable Position—whether you're lying on your back, sitting, on all fours, or side-lying. Allow your body to relax and settle into a comfortable posture.
2. Relax on the Inhale: With each inhale, consciously relax. Feel the natural expansion in your rib cage, back, and abdomen as your lungs expand, allowing the breath to flow freely throughout your body. Visualize your lungs filling with air and your body expanding with each breath. Notice any holding, gripping and gently think of releasing and creating space, letting go as you inhale.
3. Engage Your Core on the Exhale: Gently engage your lower abs, the deeper layer of your abdominal muscles, the transverse abdominis. As you breathe out, imagine hugging your baby with your tummy muscles, gently activating them at a 2/10 intensity.
