6 Benefits of Hypopressive Breathing

Hypopressive breathing is THE BEST WAY to strengthen your core.

Hypopressive breathing is unlike any other “core exercise” in that it targets the subconscious nervous system (aka autonomic nervous system) to trigger reflexive activation of all your core muscles for a complete core workout. The core muscles are primarily controlled by the subconscious nervous system; and breathing is the gateway to the subconscious nervous system. That’s why hypopressive breathing is my go-to breath work practice and core exercise for all my patients.

In this 4-part series, I want to familiarize you with hypopressive breathing and why it’s one of the best methods to resolve core dysfunction. In this post (Part 1), we’ll explore the 6 key benefits of hypopressive breathing. Then in Part 2, we will discuss why hypopressive breathing is the best exercise for one of the most common problems I see - bloating. Next in Part 3, I will show you how to get started with hypopressive exercise. Finally in Part 4, I’ll answer the most common question I receive about hypopressive breathing.

To begin, let’s start with a brief explanation of hypopressive breathing and explore the six benefits you will experience when practicing hypopressive breathing.

What is Hypopressive Breathing?

Hypopressive breathing combines two focused breath work techniques for the ultimate core strengthening exercise: decompression breathing and apnea. Decompression breathing is a technique that leads to decompression of your spine, abdomen and pelvis. On the inhale you maximally expand your rib cage, and on the exhale you elongate your spine. Apnea is an empty lung breath hold, where an abdominal vacuum is created and hollowing of the belly reflexively occurs. During apnea, you simultaneously expand your rib cage and elongate your spine. During hypopressive breathing, decompression breathing and apnea are alternated while performing various postures that further elicit reflexive muscle activation in your deepest core muscles.

You might be wondering what’s actually happening during this breath work practice and how it benefits you. It may look weird, but a lot of great things are happening on the inside when practicing hypopressive breathing!

Here are the 6 Key Benefits of Hypopressive Breathing:

1. Reduction of intra-abdominal pressure

2. Elevation of the organs

3. Spinal decompression

4. Deep core muscle activation

5. Tightening of the abdominal fascia 

6. Increased blood and lymph flow

These six therapeutic benefits can help to treat a wide variety of core, pelvic and spinal dysfunctions. And it feels great too! Let’s dive deeper now, and explore these six benefits of hypopressive breathing and how it can help you strengthen your core from the inside out, as well as prevent and resolve core dysfunction.

6 Benefits of Hypopressive Breathing

Intra-abdominal pressure is significantly reduced.

Intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) is the pressure within the abdominal cavity resulting from the interaction between the diaphragm, abdominal wall and the organs. Decompression breathing promotes sustained elevation of the diaphragm, elongation of the abdominal muscles and lengthening of the waist. This allows the pressure in the abdomen to be reduced by increasing space. When the rib cage expands during apnea without air in the lungs, the pressure that normally exists in the abdominal cavity decreases as a function of reduced volume in the lungs.

Reducing IAP through hypopressive breathing is extremely beneficial because it unloads the abdominal and pelvic cavities and allows them to decompress. Chronic compression through increased pressure leads to ischemia (decreased blood flow) and inflammation of the muscles and organs of the abdominal and pelvic cavities, as well as the spine.

If this pressure is not relieved, the ischemia and inflammation stays, leading to additional problems, such as core muscle weakness, back pain, prolapse, bladder problems like incontinence, urgency and frequency, bowel problems like IBS and constipation, sexual dysfunction, and menstrual issues. This is why hypopressive breathing is an excellent way to address and resolve these issues.

Your organs lift.

Organ elevation occurs during hypopressive breathing due to the mechanics of decompression breathing and apnea.

Decompression breathing lifts your organs by keeping the diaphragm in a elevated position and reducing the pressure in your abdomen. When the pressure is reduced in your abdomen and the diaphragm stays elevated on the inhale and exhale, the organs naturally lift as a result. When the organs are lifted and in their ideal position: they get more blood flow, lymph flow and nerve flow - which will improve their function. Organs that are compressed and sit in a lower position in the abdomen or pelvis typically have decreased function and symptoms can start to develop like digestive problems, incontinence, constipation, bloating, urinary urgency and frequency, and menstrual irregularities. So lifting of the organs has a detoxifying effect on them, and their function starts to improve as a result. That’s why hypopressive breathing is a great way to resolve common bladder, bowel and reproductive issues. It is also the best treatment for prolapse!

During apnea, when the lungs are empty, they shrink to about a third of their normal size. Then when the rib cage expands without air in it, the abdominal organs lift into the thoracic cavity, and the pelvic organs lift into the abdominal cavity. During apnea, the organs lift EVEN MORE than they do during decompression breathing. So this “double lifting effect” creates a rhythmic mobilization of the organs and detoxification results.

Your spine decompresses.

During hypopressive breathing, the alternation of decompression breathing and apnea leads to incredible spinal decompression. The space between each vertebrae increases and the discs are unloaded. This is the safest way to decompress your spine because the core muscles are also activated during the process to protect the spine. (Side note: Inversion tables are not a safe way to decompress the spine, because there is no muscle activation occurring during the process, leaving the spinal ligaments at risk to overstretching, and injuries can occur.) Hypopressive breathing activates the spinal muscles in an eccentric (lengthening) manner, which normalizes their tone and trains them to keep the spine decompressed all the times.

The spinal decompression during hypopressive breathing is especially great where the diaphragm attaches to the spine at the lower thoracic and upper lumbar vertebrae - which are very common locations of tension and pain. Patients often feel immediate relief in spine pain during and after a hypopressive breathing session. The spinal decompression that occurs as a result of hypopressive breathing allows spinal rotations unwind and alignment naturally improves. This makes hypopressive breathing a great treatment for scoliosis, whiplash, sciatica, back pain, neck pain, pelvic pain and disc herniations.

ALL of your core muscles are reflexively activated.

Hypopressive breathing strengthens the abdominal, pelvic and spinal muscles through involuntary reflexive muscle activation triggered by the breathing patterns and postures. Remember, the core muscles are primarily involuntary muscles. 80% of the muscle fibers of the core are innervated by the autonomic nervous system, meaning we don’t have voluntary control over their activation. So in order to get a complete core workout and recruit ALL of the muscles fibers of the core, reflexes must be elicited. Hypopressive breathing elicits those reflexes.

Hypopressive breathing involves long slow exhales, followed by breath holds with empty lungs. During a long exhale and during a breath hold (apnea), blood oxygen decreases and carbon dioxide increases. Rising CO2 levels in the blood is a trigger for involuntary deep core muscle activation. The slower the exhale or the longer apnea is held , the more involuntary muscle fibers are recruited.

In addition to the breath patterns, the postures and poses used during hypopressive breathing also create reflexive activation of the core muscles. Eccentric activation of the abdominal and spinal muscles through various arm, leg and spine positions leads to gentle and sustained involuntary deep core muscle activation. This leads to improvements in posture, core muscle strength, and core muscle function.

The abdominal fascia tightens and strengthens.

The postures and poses used during hypopressive breathing create a stretching of all the fascial planes in the body - from head to toe. All of these fascial planes in the arms, hands, legs and feet join and meet in the center of the body; the core - the spine, abdomen and pelvis. When these fascial places are stretched in their entirety, a drawing inward of their midpoint occurs, resulting in waistline reduction.

During the decompression breathing phase of hypopressive exercise, the fascia of the abdomen, spine and pelvis is held in a lengthened position as the muscles that are attached to this fascia are reflexively activated. This has an incredible strengthening effect on the fascia of the abdomen, spine and pelvis.

During the apnea phase of hypopressive breathing, a hollowing of the belly occurs. When the belly hollows, the circumference of the waistline significantly decreases and the length of the abdomen significantly increases. This provides the perfect combination of forces to tighten the abdominal fascia. This is why hypopressive breathing is an extremely effective way to close a diastasis postpartum.

Circulation of blood and lymph increases.

During hypopressive breathing, the reflexive movements of the diaphragm and pelvic floor create a pumping effect in the abdomen and pelvis. The diaphragm and pelvic floor are activated in unison and start to move like a piston inside of your body, pumping blood and lymph in the core and significantly increasing circulation.

Circulation is also increased by the lifting of the organs that occur during hypopressive breathing. When the organs lift, all the vessels of the pelvis and abdomen are unloaded. When vessels are unloaded, their flow increases. The rhythmic gentle movement of the organs, combined with the pumping action of the core muscles, results in detoxification. This is how hypopressive breathing can improve conditions like pelvic congestion syndrome, varicose veins and hemorrhoids.

Hypopressive breathing is an excellent way to strengthen and rehab the core.

Practicing hypopressive breathing regularly can resolve core dysfunction and treat common core, spine and pelvic problems like:

How can I learn to do Hypopressive Breathing? 

The Core Recovery Method® Online Program provides a simple way to learn hypopressive breathing and create a regular practice for yourself in the comfort of your own home. In the Hypopressive Training section, you will learn the foundational principles of hypopressive breathing and receive guidance on how to progress though the beginner, intermediate and advanced levels of hypopressive training. In this program, you are guided step by step through a series of exercises that reduces the pressure in the abdomen, lifts the pelvic organs, decompress the spine and strengthen the deepest core muscles.