Breathing and stomach

There is a difference in which muscles you are more selectively activating when you "hollow" your stomach. Hollow as in the ever-repeated line "draw your belly button in towards your spine." When you hollow or draw your gut in, you activate transversus abdominis to a higher degree. This muscle is SO IMPORTANT in stabilizing your spine during every movement ever. Your TA contracts before you move your limbs, and weak TAs are often the culprits of lower back pain. Many people lack the neuromuscular coordination to activate this muscle, and as a result, it's weak. As long as you are breathing while you're "sucking in your stomach", it's fine. Yes, it's possible to breathe/hollow at the same time. Here's a study about activation.

On the other hand, the valsalva maneuver is where you breathe in quickly, push your abs out, and hold it during a lift. This is potentially dangerous and not medically recommended.

1. TA aka Transversus abdominis. This is your deepest ab muscle. Acts like a corset around your core to stabilize your spine. It contracts to stabilize the spine anytime you move your legs or arms. As such, it's important that it be strong and capable of endurance (you need it all day). Hollowing your stomach (bringing your belly button in towards your spine or sucking in your gut) target this muscle. So, if you're doing this throughout the day, good on ya!
2. Valsalva. Not good and potentially dangerous. Commonly done, however. Performed by breathing in quickly, holding that breath while pushing your abs out. Better to hold the exhaled breath (which effectively hollows your stomach).}

So now you might be wondering…..How can I relax my abdomen?
One of the techniques I teach (which my clients with chronic lower back issues absolutely adore), is massaging the abdomen with squishy air-filled ball, also known as a ‘’COREGEOUS BALL.’’

Placing the ball onto the abdomen, and practicing deep breathing combined with gentle spinal movements is incredible way how to start restoring suppleness in the abdominal area. By using the Coregeous Ball in a very specific manner you are able to self-induce the benefits of abdominal massage without being on therapist table (and perhaps paying lot of money for it).

Learn about how to perform abdominal massage and start releasing layers of belly shame {yup, true authentic confidence is knocking on your door}:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRv1ggdFlEY

Restoring pliability, and motion into rigid, tense gut will stimulate the muscles and organs required to produce a bowel movement.  If constipation, indigestion, back pain and poor posture is an ongoing problem in your life, rolling on Coregeous ball will be like opening up a Pandora box in your body.