Dive into this video to learn about:

• What is the deep core?

• What is diaphragmatic breathing and why does it matter?

The Deep Core:

The deep core is made up of three main muscle groups:

• the respiratory diaphragm

• transverse abdominus

• pelvic floor

These muscle groups work as a team, not in isolation. When one does something, it affects the other.

Imagine the core as a Coke can: the lid, bottom, and cylindrical wrapping. The lid is your diaphragm that sits at the bottom of the ribcage, the bottom is the pelvic floor sitting at the bottom of the pelvis, and the transverse abdominus is the wrapping around your midsection.

Normal mechanics go like this:

INHALE: diaphragm contracts downwards and descends. In response, the pelvic floor lengthens and expands, and the abdominals gently expand as well. Picture the ribcage like an umbrella opening 360 degrees.

EXHALE: Your diaphragm recoils back up, the ribs depress back down, the pelvic floor and abs recoil back in as well. This is not a kegel - there is not an active lift/contraction of the pelvic floor. Just a recoil back from its lengthened position.

This is not something we feel with each breath we take. It is very subtle movement that should happen automatically.

We can throw this off with altered breathing mechanics that can be a result of pregnancy, postural changes, trunk or ribcage stiffness, pain, etc. We will often see compensation with breath into the neck and shoulders, and/or the ribcage moving up instead of opening and expanding. So when we breath with these accessory muscles instead of the diaphragm, the pelvic floor does not get the normal movement.

We want to practice and restore this fluctuation of movement of the diaphragm, abs and pelvic floor. A healthy pelvic floor is one that moves.

Ideally, this is how we breath subtly with each breath throughout the day. Expand, and recoil. Follow along to the next video to see how we apply breath to working out and resistance training.

In the postpartum period, this is beneficial to practice for a few minutes a day. Benefits of diaphragmatic breathing include regulation of your nervous system, relaxation, decreased tension and decreased pelvic floor tension.