07/09/2026
•What does your breathing pattern say about your body?•
We breathe around 20,000 times every day, yet most of us never stop to think about how we breathe.
As physiotherapists, breathing is one of the first movement patterns we observe. It can tell us a surprising amount about how your body moves, responds to stress and supports your spine.
One of the most common resting breathing patterns is predominantly upper-chest breathing.
Instead of allowing the lower rib cage to expand, the upper chest moves more noticeably, often together with increased activity around the neck and shoulders.
Over time, this may be associated with:
• tension in the neck and shoulders
• reduced mobility of the rib cage and thoracic spine
• less efficient breathing
• reduced coordination between breathing and trunk stability
This pattern may develop because of stress, prolonged sitting, pain, previous surgery or simply long-established habits.
In Pilates, we use lateral thoracic breathing encouraging the lower ribs to expand in all directions while keeping the breath relaxed and natural.
Take one minute today.
-Place your hands around your lower ribs.
-As you breathe in, can you feel them gently expanding sideways and backwards? Or do your shoulders lift first?
-As you breathe out, allow your ribs to return naturally. Try not to actively pull or suck them in.
Where do you feel your breath today?
