14/10/2026
Your abdominals: Pilates Instructors want to know how to cue them and Pilates-doers want to know how to best use them. The best cue and most effective exercise is more simple that you might think - it’s breathing.
Okay, it’s slightly more nuanced than that. As Ash explains, if you’re using a variety of ab-centric cues, but you or your client struggles to ‘engage’ or has reach progress plateau, try this breathing technique:
🌟 Balance your inhale with your exhale
Breathe in for six counts, breathe out for six counts. Notice any patterns of imbalances (e.g. maybe you can consistently inhale for 6 but only exhale for 4 counts).
🌟 The way you breathe tells us a lot about how you organise intra-abdominal pressure; therein lies the key to real change and progress felt in your body. Practice balancing your breaths and lengthening the shorter breath until your inhale/exhale match.
Curious to explore the way you breathe? You can learn more about the role of breath in exercise, nervous system regulation, focus and rest in our 6-week breathwork course coming to Thursday evenings at BPM. Send us a DM to save your spot or learn more! 💌
