Stop sucking in your gut

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/04/2019 (2566 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

How many times have you looked in the mirror and not liked what you see?  

Did you try to fix it by sucking in your gut? A bulging belly is a bad thing, right? Maybe not. In front of the mirror or the camera, for a few seconds at a time, it seems harmless. However, it can get us into trouble very quickly if we make it a habit. Regularly sucking in your gut can create inefficient, and possibly harmful breathing patterns.  

Why is it such a bad thing to try to suck everything in? The habit becomes problematic when we do it during the inhale portion of the breath. Our bellies should actually relax and expand on the inhale and flatten as it deflates on the exhale. This is shocking for many people, who tend to breathe in the opposite pattern. I can think of three reasons everyone should learn to breathe properly and stop sucking in their gut all the time.  

First, this backward breathing pattern can significantly reduce the amount of oxygen we take in. Even the slightest reduction in oxygen intake can have noticeable effects on energy, stamina, not just during workouts, but during the activities of day-to-day life.  

Second, it reduces our mobility and increases our stress response. The very bottom set of ribs is meant to move to accommodate the flattening of the diaphragm and the expansion of the belly on the inhale, and impeding the breath keeps those ribs stuck. If we want to take in more air, and those ribs don’t move to accommodate the volume, we’ll have to send it somewhere other than the belly. For most people that is the chest. Breathing upwards tends to tighten the muscles in the shoulders and neck, which mimics the body’s natural stress response, and can cause stiffness and pain in the upper body.

Third, we need to breathe properly to stabilize and brace under heavy loads. If we try to suck in the belly while executing a physically demanding task such as lifting or carrying a heavy load, that means less air is filling the abdominal cavity. All the air is in the upper lungs instead. This is a bad thing because we need air in our bellies to stabilize our spine. Imagine two balloons, one is fully blown up, and the other is only half full of air. Now place your hand on top of the balloons and press down. Which balloon offers more resistance? Clearly the full balloon. Lifting heavy weights with an empty belly makes the body sad and soft, just like that half full balloon.  

If sucking in is bad, what should we do instead? Try a simple breathing practice. Lie down on you back with knees bent, or sit in a chair. Place a hand on the belly and a hand on the chest or collar bone. Now simply pay attention to what moves and what stiffens when you breathe. Is it your belly?  Your chest? Your neck? Imagine your torso as a football that you want to inflate on each inhale.  Try to make your belly bigger on the inhale and flatter on the exhale. Think about breathing outwards rather than upwards. Practise 20 breaths every day.  

Tania Tetrault Vrga is owner and head trainer at CrossFit Winnipeg. Send questions to her at www.crossfitwinnipeg.com