The Shocking Truth Behind Pooch Bellies - Do This To Fix It!

Key Takeaways: #

1. Pooch belly can be related to posture, not just fat: A depressed sternum and a forwardly shifted pelvis contribute to a pooch belly.
2. Poor posture restricts breathing: This forward-shifted posture limits diaphragm function and efficient rib cage expansion, leading to shallow breathing.
3. Improved posture enhances breathing: By expanding the front ribs, creating space for lung expansion, and improving diaphragm function, you can improve breathing and overall wellness.

Understanding the Pooch Belly and its Connection to Posture #

• A pooch belly is often a result of poor posture, specifically a combination of a depressed sternum and a forwardly shifted pelvis.
• This posture restricts the ability to properly use the diaphragm and expand the rib cage, leading to shallow breathing.

• "The goal is two things first and foremost to be able to get us to open up these front ribs that will allow us to naturally get a little taller, we can do some exercises to help you stand up straighter, whatever that means or we can give you the ability and your rib cage the awareness to expand 20,000 times a day or more with each and every breath."

The Inverted Position for Rib Expansion #

• Benefits of the inverted position: By inverting the body, placing the pelvis higher than the head, the contents of the thorax shift forward and up, creating space for expansion of the front ribs.
• Exercise:
  • Place knees on a firm surface, slightly bent.
  • Forearms flat on the ground, shoulders underneath.
  • Head in a relaxed position, avoiding neck engagement.
  • At the end of a 5-8 second exhale, close mouth, place tongue on the roof of the mouth, and slowly inhale through the nose.
  • Repeat for 5-10 breaths.

Finding Your Heels and the Hook Line Position #

• Importance of heel awareness: Shifting the pelvis back underneath the ribcage helps correct forward posture and improve body alignment.

• Hook Line Position:

  • Place feet on a foam roller (or alternative stable surface) with heels in contact and hip-width apart.
  • Initiate by pressing heels into the roller and performing a slight posterior pelvic tilt.
  • Focus on feeling the hamstrings engaging.
  • Reach for the ceiling, maintaining a neutral spine, and stop just before rib cage flaring.
  • Exhale fully, engage side core, inhale slowly through the nose, maintaining a relaxed neck.

• Hamstrings vs Glutes: Focus on engaging the hamstrings, not the glutes, during this exercise. If glutes engage, squeeze a compressible ball between your thighs (intensity 3-5/10).

• "It's imperative to understand that we want the hamstrings working here. Not the glutes. It's very important we only feel hamstrings."

Address the Pooch Belly: A Normal Variation #

• While a pooch belly is often associated with poor posture and breathing dysfunction, it's a normal variation and doesn't necessarily need to be fixed.
• It's more important to focus on good movement, feeling good, and addressing any limitations that arise from posture and breathing issues.

• "Let me make it very very clear that a pooch belly is a completely normal thing and there's nothing inherently wrong with it. There are millions, billions of people potentially that have some degree of pooch belly. It's predominantly common in females, but males can absolutely have it and it isn't something that you have to fix. It isn't something that is unattractive. It's not something that I feel like you need to spend a lot of mental energy worrying about."

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