Why You Need To Stop Sucking In Your Belly (& What To Do Instead)
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- Опубліковано 9 лип 2024
- Although many of us have learned to suck in our stomachs as a default mode, this is a habit that’s basically terrible for our bodies.
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Sucking in our bellies literally forces us to breathe with our upper chest, neck & accessory breathing muscles - so it can lead to a lot of neck pain & issues with the cervical spine.
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BTW Sucking in also messes up our core function, weakens our pelvic floors, throttles digestion, & generally wreaks havoc with everything that’s happening between our neck and our pelvis.
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In this video, I'm covering exactly what sucking in is, how it's different from core engagement, and how we really want our core to work.
Plus I'm going over the three basic breathing strategies our bodies can use and why one of them is really a lot more functional than the others.
And I'm sharing the foundational belly release exercise that will get you started on improving your breathing, core & pelvic floor function!
No equipment required!
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Just realized I’ve been sucking in my stomach for years… explains why it is hard to breathe sometimes
You're not alone there! This is such a common habit - and changing it can make a big difference. Great observations 👏👏 I'm excited for your journey!
same here! how to fix this issue tho 😭
Thank you so so much for this video. I’m currently under weight after being overweight for 3 years…it made me realize no matter how much weight I loose I still suck all the time due to insecurities. This video was my godsend . Very emotional for me but it’s a step inThe right direction. Thank you 🙏 💙
🙏 I'm sooo glad this was helpful for you! It's amazing how a small change like this can make a big difference for our bodies. You're so welcome - I'm excited for your journey ❤️
Thank you for talking about the emotional difficulty with letting our tummys just 'release'. It was REALLY hard to allow that! Thank you for validating my reservation about doing it. 🙂
You're so welcome 🤗🤗 You're not alone in that!! It takes time to adjust - but it's certainly worth it 💪
Super helpful and clarifying video, thank you Petra - I’ve always found the belly breathing instructed in yoga and meditation stressful and difficult so happy people are sharing these alternatives.
I think there's a time and a place for many breathing strategies - and using the ribs doesn't mean no belly movement - but the idea that belly breathing is ideal doesn't seem to be correct.
Okay, when I’m not sucking in it feels like I’m forcefully pushing my stomach out and feel pressure everywhere and like I have to pee😅 it’s not comfortable lol
There is likely a middle ground - it's quite possible that your body just isn't used to relaxing these muscles and so perhaps you are indeed pushing out which isn't ideal. You can try rolling your belly on a soft ball like a Pilates ball and gently using your breath to work on relaxing, or set yourself up in a child's pose position and just work to relax layers of tension and see if you can avoid the sense of pushing. Alternatively, I teach a lot of techniques for relaxing unhelpful tension and changing sucking in habits in my Take10 membership program, so if that's something you'd like to explore, you can join the waitlist at this link:
petrafishermovement.lpages.co/take10-waitlist-test-april2022/
I gave myself a pelvic prolapse last year after going (too) hardcore with sit-ups in prep for my 65th birthday. Did PT for 4 months and was fitted with a pessary. Wondering if the pessary is detrimental in trying to strengthen my pelvic floor. I wear it 24/7 and have been severely limiting my lifting things from usual 40#+ to maybe 10# max. Your thoughts?
hmm. I haven't heard anywhere that a pessary will limit your ability to restore function - most people I've heard from who use them find them really helpful in providing support when they need it. For many pelvic floor prolapses, the issue isn't really a lack of strength in the PF muscles, it's a lack of balance in core function and a pressure overload - which given what you're describing with sit ups could certainly be a part of what's going on for you. I'd suggest you experiment - with care - as you feel you're making progress, you can try some activities without it and see how your body responds. I'd definitely suggest exploring how you create pressure in your body before thinking about strengthening your PF though!
hello, I really love the way you explained, and I have a question. I have been sucking in my belly for consecutive months and now im pretty much used to it, but its really starting to affect the way I breathe. Would you please give me some advice on how to get back to normal breathing? thank you
My free Ribcage Magic video series would be a great help - I cover the basics of optimal breathing right there - here's a sign up link: www.petrafishermovement.com/ribcage-magic/
(to be clear, I'll send the breathing videos after the ribcage series but the ribcage part is imporant too!)
Good and clearifying info.
Thanks for the feedback!
@@PetraFisherMovement I am curious what nice place you live in, what country?
@@annasternfeldt6031 I'm originally from Canada but am currently traveling through Southeast Asia 😊.
@@annasternfeldt6031 I travel full time - I can't actually remember where we filmed this video!
@@PetraFisherMovement maybe you remember where you were when you filmed on an outdoor verandha?
Found this fascinating and I'm working with it immediately. But I've been a big believer in Agni Sara practices, which I'm wondering now if they are sucking in and should be dispensed with. I thought it massaged the inner organs, but if I don't need it or it's counter-productive, I have no hesitation to drop it. What do you think?
Great question! I assume you mean an abdominal vacuum protocol. I'm not 100% up on my yoga moves, but my understanding is that they're quite helpful in taking pressure off the pelvic floor and they're used as an occasional exercise not a full time movement override, which I think should be just fine. Does that help?
@@PetraFisherMovement helps tremendously!!! I've just discovered you in the past month and I'm switching over completely to your style of movement, I've been looking for this for a long time but didn't exactly know it existed. THANK YOU!!!
@@marcieromano7356 When I discovered the world of movement work I felt the exact same way - everything just clicked! It's an amazing journey and I'm delighted to be able to share it with you!
Do you still do the take 10 program?? I need help so bad 🙏 I’ve had nightmare symptoms for over a year and a half and this might actually be part of my problem.
Oh, I'm sorry to hear it! Yes, doors will reopen for Take10 in the fall. You can get on the waitlist here: bit.ly/3J5LTVM. Another great option for you might be my Ribcage Magic freebie. Give it a try, explore gently, and LMK if you have any qs! bit.ly/3QDPtKp
So helpful and interesting. I see so many conflicting messages in yoga and other practices about this. Maybe it's also that they're not actually explaining what it means when they say "tighten your core" or whatever. I definitely suck in my belly, and it definitely feels hard to let it out, both from the tension there and the emotional side of it. I will practice. Thank you.
It's fantastically confusing, isn't it? There are so many different approaches and the language around it can be incredibly unclear. There is a difference between sucking in as opposed to engaging the deep core, and those are both different to a bracing strategy, and all of these can be done so that you're nurturing a reflexive, responsive core or one that you're controlling and overriding. I like the approach of nurturing a reflexive core and helping all the components that relate to the core be able to function well and naturally!
do you have videos to help without signing up for another program.
in am sorry i have to ask, but , i need to know if this is for me.
it seems i have too many voices and a sore rib / belly.
It is hard. I am 68 and have a mother who has told me, since I was about 8, to suck my stomach in.
Unfortunately that is not uncommon and it's really tough to change that programming when you've heard it for so long! I encourage you to stick with your explorations - that's the wonderful thing is that we really can make changes even when they're hard!
What is tba
Oh! It's actually TVA or TA - deep core muscle. Full name is transversus abdominus. I'll get that video marker fixed. Thanks for the q!
the physiology of the body is a wonder, meaning it functions the way it should be. Breathing is supposed to be a normal function that you dont have to think about like your the beating of your heart. it should come naturally. I appreciate the tips but it's not like you are lifting weight and doing yoga and pay attention to your breathing and muscles need to engage. conclusion, if I'm not breathing the way you suggest is to train my body to breathe this way 24/7? did I misunderstood your message and intent? maybe do this breathing exercise a few minutes a day. BTW, I don't suck my belly. this is my personal opinion as a RN.
I'm not really sure what you're saying as your opinion here, but I think that it's ideal for your body to default to a rib breathing pattern but to be able to access and use other breathing strategies as required. "should come naturally' is great but we've taken our bodies out of a natural movement environment put them into very artificial ones so many people don't have access to all their potential patterns which can be really tough on our bodies. I hope this helps!
Are we literally suppose to let our stomachs all the way out and walk around with a relaxed stomach? Imagine this..... someone just walking around with a winnie the pooh tummy popping out is what we are supposed to do?
Are you activating your TVA as you sit there on the floor talking to us?
You might think of it as more a case of just getting out of your own way. When you suck in or brace, you prevent your core from responding to the demands of the world in a reflexive manner. Your brain will naturally tell your core what to do if you're not trying to override it all the time. Unfortunately, this kind of constant bracing strategy was taught for a long time but more recent thinking suggests that it's not really that helpful.
Stomach*
Pelvis*
@@BillyBobFromAlabamapelvic***
You’re suuuuper tanned