Breathing Techniques That Improve Your Practice
If you've taken more than one class with us, you've heard an instructor say "breathe into your ribs" more times than you can count. It's not a throwaway cue — breath is one of the core principles Pilates is built on, and getting it right changes how effective every exercise is.
Why breath matters so much in Pilates
In Pilates, breath isn't separate from the movement — it's part of how you create core stability. Exhaling at the right moment helps you engage your deep abdominal muscles more effectively, which is exactly what lets you move with control instead of straining or holding your breath through an exercise.
Lateral rib breathing, explained
Most Pilates classes use "lateral rib breathing": instead of breathing into your belly (which can release core engagement), you breathe by expanding your ribcage sideways and slightly back, while keeping your deep abdominals gently drawn in. It takes practice, and it's genuinely normal to find it awkward at first.
A simple way to practice it
- Sit or lie down and place your hands on the sides of your lower ribs.
- Inhale through your nose, trying to feel your ribs expand into your hands — sideways, not just your belly rising.
- Exhale through your mouth, feeling your ribs draw back in and your deep abdominals gently engage.
- Repeat for a minute or two before your next class, so the pattern feels a little more familiar.
When to exhale during an exercise
As a general rule, you exhale on the effort — the hardest part of the movement — and inhale on the return or setup. Your instructor will cue this specifically for each exercise, but if you ever feel yourself holding your breath through a hard set, that's usually the sign to slow down and reset your breathing before continuing.
It gets easier — quickly
Almost every student tells us this feels mechanical for the first couple of classes and then starts to happen automatically. Once it clicks, most people notice they can hold positions longer and move with noticeably more control — which is really the whole point.