How am I supposed to breathe?

I

ihatemythyroid

New member
I just found out a few months back that I had been doing regular crunches all wrong. I was breathing the complete opposite of how we are supposed to breathe.

I am now trying bicycle crunches and I just can't seem to breathe at all. I am doing about 3 sets of 30 reps and am holding my breath almost the entire set. Is there something I am doing wrong. I can say that it does not seem "fluid" at all.
 
I looked up the proper form

and do I have this correctly? I should be exhaling on lifting and inhaling when returning to the starting position? Oh, this is SO confusing because this was how I was doing regular crunches. I think slowing down might help. Maybe I should just buy an ab-roller, haha.
 
I was told to inhale when lifting and exhaling when returning...hmm I dunno. I am like you. I dont breathe right. Its hard for me to breathe like that. I have found that while trying yoga my breathing did improve though...
 
Um, I think you want to push the air out when you contract so that the air in your lungs in not preventing you from getting a good squeeze on the contraction... so that would mean as you lift push the air out slowly and contract as hard as you can and then inhale slowly as you come down. Its hard to keep your breathing right when you are going really fast... I'm all about quality not quantity when it comes to ab work. Slow and controled is my way of the game!

Hope this helps!
 
Today was much better!

I went much slower and had to really concentrate to breathe correctly, but it felt better. I wasn't flailing around gasping for air. I did my morning 30 minutes on the treadmill and then the other exercises, then went swimming with my kids. I don't want to do the treadmill again tonight, and I am trying to force myself. I didn't eat the greatest things today. For now I will blame it on my husband, lol. I swear, he can eat anything and complains about his "bird legs". Makes me sick!
 
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