Pilates Breathing: How to Do It Right

II’m somewhat ashamed to admit that it took me years to understand the importance of proper breathing in Pilates. I just thought my natural breathing was enough – after all, I was breathing, right? There was always that moment when the instructor asked, ‘Is everyone breathing?’. I nodded, and without a doubt someone in the class responded with exaggerated theatrical breaths.

This cycle continued until one day an instructor came up to me in the middle of class and said, “You’re not breathing.” I was confused, I was breathing. I was still alive, right? But then she took the time to explain what Pilates breathing really meant, and everything changed.

Up until that point, I had reached a plateau. I often came to class to check it off my schedule, but I didn’t see much improvement. Once I learned to breathe properly – whether on the reformer or on the mat – my core became noticeably stronger and my whole body felt so much more engaged. It turned out that this was no fluke: breathing correctly during Pilates Actually makes the difference.

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Why breathing correctly is important during Pilates

Did you know that we breathe an average of 22,000 times a day? Although most of these breaths are done without thinking, there are actually many benefits to breathing intentionally during activities like Pilates.

“The connection with breath and movement is an integral part of Pilates and can enhance the practice and support you with every movement,” says Emma Stallworthy, Pilates instructor and founder of Your Reformer. “Usually an inhalation will prepare your body (for movement) and the exhalation is for when the most strength or stability is needed.”

A small one Study from 2017¹ in the Journal of Physiotherapy Sciences put this idea to the test: Researchers had one group of participants breathe normally during a Pilates session and another group followed a specific Pilates breathing pattern while completing the same series of exercises.

They found that the group who employed Pilates breathing tactics had more muscle activation in their core and back and were at less risk of core injuries than those who did not focus on the way they breathed. (More on how to breathe during Pilates in a second!)

“Not only does proper breathing get your muscles better engaged, but it also forces you to be more present and aware during training.” —Carrie Minter Ebers, Pilates instructor

How to breathe correctly during Pilates

Joseph Pilates (the inventor of Pilates) famously said: ‘Above all, learn how to breathe correctly.’ And while he didn’t insist on specific breathing techniques, different instructors have different methods. “We ideally recommend that our clients inhale through their nose for a count of four to eight, filling their diaphragm as they prepare, and then exhale through their mouth for a count of four to eight,” says Carrie Minter Ebers, Pilates instructor and founder of Carrie’s Pilates.

Stallworthy prefers to coordinate breathing with movement. “Our bodies can perform better when breathing is coordinated and supported by the force of movement,” she says. “For example, exhaling during spinal flexion movements supports further flexion, and conversely, inhaling supports extension of the spine as the rib cage opens outward and upward.”

What both trainers agree on is that you should be able to adjust your breathing based on the exercise you are doing. “For slower movements, like planks to pikes, you want to exhale deeply as you bend up and inhale as you lower the hips,” says Ebers. But with movements like the hundred exercise, things change again.

“In this exercise, you inhale for five counts and exhale for five counts, then repeat until you reach 100,” says Stallworthy. “This is a challenging exercise because you focus the breath laterally in your ribcage while engaging the abdominal muscles.”

Being able to monitor your Pilates breathing and adapt it to the different exercises and their pace may not be obvious at first, but if there is one mistake that is important to avoid, it is not breathing at all or just holding your breath (guilty!). Not only can this hinder your progress, but it also increases your risk of injury.

“So many people forget to breathe, breathe strictly through their mouth or breathe irregularly and have a lack of control,” says Ebers. “Not only does proper breathing get your muscles better engaged, but it also forces you to be more present and aware during training.”

Is there a difference between Pilates and yoga breathing?

Although both yoga and Pilates are low-impact workouts that integrate breath and movement, their breathing techniques are different. “Yoga breathing generally encourages the abdomen to fill with air, while Pilates focuses on expanding the rib cage during inhalation,” says Stallworthy.

Yoga involves diaphragmatic breathing, or Pranayama, deep abdominal breathing in which your abdomen expands as you inhale through your nose. This ancient practice, which dates back more than 5,000 years, is designed to regulate breathing and promote mindfulness, relaxation and energy flow. As Ebers notes, “yoga breathing is often slower and creates a calming sound.”

Alternatively, Pilates follows ribcage breathing, directing your breath to the sides of your ribcage while keeping your core engaged. In Pilates, you typically breathe through your nose when inhaling and exhale through pursed lips, which promotes core stability and muscle activation.

Just as athletes adapt between different sports, the transition between yoga and Pilates is certainly possible; it only requires adjustments in breathing technique. “It can take some time to learn breathing exercises,” says Stallworthy, adding that the main goal is simply to continue breathing throughout the breath. Ebers agrees. “Once you master the breath flow, it increases the intensity, precision and mindfulness of each movement and helps you find your transformative power.”