PÄIVÄ 26
WARM-UP: DIAPHRAGM STRETCH 4
​
1.
Lie down on your back in a relaxed position. Bend your knees keeping your arms at the sides.
2.
Gently blow air out of the lungs. Don't empty your lungs excessively.
3.
Relax your abdomen and lift your diaphragm up. Your upper abdomen is, in a way, sucked up in your rib cage. If you can’t feel the stretch you can assist by pulling the navel backward and upward, toward the spine.
4.
Push your lower ribs out to each side. The rib cage broadens. Relax your abdominal muscles.
​
5.
Lift your pelvis up. Keep your arms relaxed against the floor and let them slowly slide above your head. Let your diaphragm stretch.
​
6.
Bring your arms back to the sides. Push your abdomen outward. Begin breathing. Bring your pelvis back to the floor.
​​
You don’t need to worry if the stretch feels difficult. Repeat the stretch multiple times. You can also try moving your diaphragm during the stretch.
WARM-UP: BREATH-HOLD EXERCISE
​
30-second breath-hold with a single breath
1.
Exhale fully using pursed lip breathing.
2.
Inhale slowly and completely using pursed lip breathing.
3.
Hold your breath for 30 seconds.
​​
4.
Empty and refill your lungs slowly right after each breath-hold.
6.
Repeat as many times as you can.​​​
BREATH-HOLD EXERCISE
​
1.
Lie on your back. You can keep your legs bent to help keep your abdominal area more relaxed.
2.
Close your eyes and breathe calmly with your diaphragm for 30 seconds. When you hear the signal, fill your lungs.
3.
Follow the breath-hold and breathing intervals according to the video instructions.
4.
On the final round, you can hold your breath a little longer.
When you feel the urge to stop, lift your diaphragm twice and wait for a moment. Observe whether diaphragmatic contractions start automatically.
​​
