LOW PRESSURE FITNESS (hypopressives)
Why should you care about pressure?
All day long the pressure inside our core constantly changes. When we breathe, pick up things, exercise, run, jump or even poop, our body has to properly regulate and manage these changes in intra-abdominal pressure. This pressure often travels to the path of least resistance. Therefore some people are more sensitive to pressure changes than others. For example, those with weakened abdominal muscles after having a baby or abdominal surgery are more vulnerable. Also those having common signs and symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction, like leaking urine when they cough, sneeze or exercise, is another example of impaired pressure management.
Through Low Pressure Fitness (LPF) we can learn how to balance our breathing, our muscles, and our connective tissue in order to better manage these day-to-day pressures and get back to feeling, moving and performing at our absolute best.
So what is LPF and how can it benefit you?
Low Pressure Fitness is a comprehensive movement system that targets the core and pelvic floor muscles (coordinating and toning the muscles), restores posture and myofascial mobility, and helps to improve breathing by focusing on diaphragm and lateral rib cage movement and position.
A hypopressive or abdominal vacuum is often used while performing the technical poses and movements within Low Pressure Fitness, creating reduced pressure throughout the abdomen and pelvic girdle.
Based on an innovative postural and respiratory training system, LPF combines myofascial stretching, postural and respiratory re-education and neurodynamics to tone and strengthen the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles.
LOW PRESSURE FITNESS (LPF)
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Tones & strengthens core & pelvic floor muscles
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Improves urinary incontinence problems
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Reduces the effects of organ prolapse
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Posture & respiratory re-education
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Enhances sports performance
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Decreases abdominal girth
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Enhances sexual activity
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Reduces back pain
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and more!
Low Pressure Fitness (LPF) is a series of breathing and postural exercises that safely strengthen our deepest core muscles. These are the muscles that create the foundation for upright posture and joint stability. They also help control normal bodily processes and function of the bladder, bowels, and sexual health. Oftentimes, these muscles can be affected from an injury, surgery, pregnancy, illness or sedentary lifestyle.
This whole-body routine is administered in a specific sequence with postural cues and a unique breathing pattern called “hypopressives'' which reduces pressure through the abdomen and pelvis. This change in pressure, along with maintaining the postures, are key to the effectiveness of the exercises.
Hypopressive means “low pressure.” It is a broad term used to describe breathing, exercising, or moving with reduced pressure on the body. The practice is done slowly and meets you where you are at.
GETTING STARTED
All clients begin with the Free LPF Intro Series or private sessions to get grounded in the fundamentals of the practice.
Once the fundamental principles of Low Pressure Fitness are learned, individuals may then move on to group classes or continue with private sessions.
How to prepare for your first session/classes:
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Complete this form and bring it with you or arrive early to complete it prior to your session.
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Suggestions for class: Wear comfortable clothing, yoga mat, yoga block, Yoga Tune Up ball or tennis ball, and theraband (optional). If you are attending class at Renew Wellness, we will provide you with the suggested props.
FAQs
There are no medical contraindications to the Low Pressure Fitness program. There are, however, some medical contraindications to performing the hypopressive apnea. Persons with hypertension (high blood pressure), heart disease, COPD, an active cancer, fibromyalgia or pregnant women should not perform the apnea. They can still do the Low Pressure Fitness Program without the apnea, which provides many of the same core benefits. Women with an IUD can perform the hypopressive apnea under physician supervision.
A: Client’s begin with the Intro Series or one-on-one with the instructor due to the technicalities of the postures and breath sequences which must be mastered before group instruction. In person instruction can be performed either in the yoga studio or online. At Renew Wellness we offer both in-house instruction and online instruction through Zoom as part of a student’s treatment plan.
Both women and men can benefit from practicing low pressure training. It is perfect for those whose physical ailments do not allow them to carry out more demanding exercises. It is also ideal for low intensity prep in any other training programs, by starting out on low intensity activities, or even as a combo with your high-intensity workouts.
The traditional abdominal training:
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Phasic contraction/skeletal, voluntary muscle
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Diaphragm pushes down
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Increase intra- abdominal pressure
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Pelvic floor and visceral compression
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Vascular compression
Hypopressive™ Low Pressure Fitness Training:
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Eccentric contraction/ postural anticipatory muscles
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Diaphragm lengthening
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Decrease intra-abdominal pressure
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No pressure on the pelvic floor
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Increase vascular flow
Traditional Abdominal Training VS Hypopressive™ Low Pressure Fitness Training
We understand that the core is fundamental to our overall health, and this complex system deserves a new means of conditioning that embraces a more global approach — one that addresses its overall function. Although this new form of Core Exercise seems at the outset counter intuitive, Hypopressive/Low Pressure Fitness is however an effective and, most importantly, natural and balanced means of attaining true Core Function.
Hypopressive™ – Low Pressure Fitness: What Is Really Happening
Hypopressive – Low Pressure Fitness addresses the whole body and its integrated relationship with the different systems. Unlike other approaches that work to correct one segment at a time, this unique program offers improvements in one’s overall health, in as little as 20 min but don’t be fooled into thinking this is a relaxing breathing technique.
Hypopressive™ – Low Pressure Fitness Restores Respiratory patterns
The Respiratory muscles are used to help create a vacuum affect resulting in a decrease of pressure within the thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic cavities. The diaphragm acts like a plunger, influenced in its more relaxed state, it is then lengthened during the apnea and rib expansion phase, causing the vacuum.
It is after the final exhale when you end in an apnea (temporary cessation of breathing) and commence what we call a false inhale (when you mimic taking a breath without letting air in) It is this false breath in combination with the activation of the diaphragm’s antagonist muscles, serratus & inspiratory muscles that cause the automatic functional engagement of the abdominal and pelvic body while decreasing pressure. This decrease in pressure provokes a suction and elevation of the connective tissues, offering a myofascial release while decongesting the pelvic cavity. It is this synergistic, reflex co-activation of the core/postural musculature (transverse abdominals, pelvic floor muscles, multifidus, and diaphragm) that trains this integrated group of muscles to function together. Core function can be greatly improved by correcting ones breathing habits.
Hypopressives™ Technical Postures
Hypopressive™ – Low Pressure Fitness training however is far more than just a breathing technique. If you have ever tried this technique, you know this to be true. There are specific technical patterns that have been created, each pattern has been studied to facilitate this decrease in pressure and amplify the hypopressive effects, raise the internal organs and achieve better posture.
The postural tensegrity (a word that combines ‘tension’ and ‘integrity’) developed within each pose creates a more balanced and functional body as a whole. If there is movement, pulling or pushing in one area energy is sent through the entire body and everything moves creating a global visceral, fascial, and muscular stretch.
Within the poses there are specific areas of pull, lengthening, pull or axial shift forward to achieve this response and in the end, you are left with better alignment, continuity, and an overall improved carriage. When you improve one’s posture you are also helping to improve one’s breathing ability and vice-versa all of which creates a core body that can move synergistic-ally and manage the stresses of everyday living in addition to the physical activities we love.
Examples of increased intra-abdominal pressure
Try lying on your back, place your hands on your lower abdomen. Now cough. What happens? Does your stomach push out? Does your pelvic floor move down? Something as simple as a light cough can increase a great deal of pressure. Since you are already on your back, try a traditional abdominal crunch or abdominal exercise of your choice (not too many!). What happens? Can you feel the increase in pressure downwards, outwards, on your back, neck?
Pulling your belly button in toward your spine all day is like squeezing on a tube of toothpaste. As toothpaste will be pressed out of the hole of the tube, so too will the pressure you create attempt to push through any weak point you may have in your core. Over time, these weak points can eventually manifest themselves in any number of symptoms of a dysfunctional core.
These Hyperpressive activities can prove detrimental to those with a core that is unable to manage these pressures, leaving them with one or multiple symptoms that could include incontinence, prolapse organs, abdominal hernia, vertebral hernia, and biomechanical instability. Recognizing that you are susceptible to increasing your chances of developing any of these symptoms is half the battle, and prevention should become of utmost importance. It is therefore important for us to balance all these Hyperpressive activities with one that is Hypopressive in nature.
Core Strength vs. Core Function
Traditionally the emphasis on core training has been abdominal-centric, either for aesthetic appeal or to generate strength and power – building and toning these muscles through voluntary movement. Not only are these muscles being over-worked, but popular exercise programs tend not to address the conditioning of three major segments of the core — the multifidus, pelvic floor, and the diaphragm – and rarely have any purposeful effect for the other main component of our core system – the transverse abdominals.
The traditional approach to core training does not seem to recognize the core’s true required purpose and may even be considered counterproductive in our efforts to attain a more optimized and functional core. By ignoring these four important pieces (multifidus, pelvic floor, diaphragm, and transverse abdominals) and their intricate role within the core, we are hampering our ability to achieve optimal core function.
Where did this technique come from?
Hypopressives have actually been around for a long time. The technique has been practiced for centuries in certain teachings of Yoga as Udiyanha Bandha. Bodybuilders in the 1970s such as Arnold Schwarzenegger used it during competitive posing to slim the waistline for accentuating their torso. In the 1980s research began to emerge that focused on its impact on the pelvic structures. In 2004 in Spain, Dr. Tamara Rial and Piti Pinsach started to develop research and create a movement system using the hypopressive concepts. By 2014, this movement system would evolve into Low Pressure Fitness.