I have been doing Oxycise for a number of weeks now, but have been wondering about one thing.

I’ve been relaxing my belly for my deep diaphragmatic inhale, but get confused when I am supposed to do my “lift and tuck”. If do a lift and tuck, I find it too hard to get any more breaths in (my last 3 puffs in), because I’m contracting my abs. For me, it seems easier to get in all air if I continue to relax my abs as I do the 3 inhales. Then, when I do my exhale, I contract my abs immediately which helps push out the air. I also find that there isn’t enough time to do a “tuck”, so really all I am doing is contracting my abs…. is this ok, or am I losing out on a lot by doing it this way?

If I do my lift and tuck before I do my 3 quick inhale puffs, I don’t feel like I can get in all the air possible. Is it better to do it as I am doing and get in “all” the air and simply forget about doing a lift and tuck, or should I not worry about getting in all the air and do the lift and tuck before my three inhale puffs?

I’d really appreciate some feedback here, as I’m not sure if I’m doing myself any good doing it this way.

Hi Mini....and welcome to the board!

All of y'all out there correct me if I'm wrong, but the way I understand the lift and tuck is this: Once you've breathed in deeply, by lifting and tucking you will provide the work for your abs when you try to take in the three more breaths. If you place your hand on your diaphragm when you take these three extra breaths, you can feel it working. You should then hold this lift and tuck until you have exhaled and completed the three extra puffs (in which you can also feel it working). At this point relax and start over.

You might want to e-mail Julie@oxycise.com and ask her for the breathing tips. They really are helpful.

Kelly

I have a similar question about the "lift and tuck" sequence.

Do you breathe, then lift, then tuck, then exhale?
Is it the same sequence for all the positions - do you breathe, then get into the positions, then exhale? Do you hold your breath for any length of time?

I just received the O! book yesterday and I've read it through once, but don't see anything mentioned about the sequence of the breathing and the positions. I did sort of skip around so I could have easily missed this.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

Hi Kelly! Do you have the instruction video? I found that to be more helpful with teaching the basic breath than the book (at least it was for me!) I watched it several times and did it along with her on the video. I take my breath (my stomach expands)then lift and tuck kind of at the same time (like it's all one movement for me...not 2), then take the 3 extra breaths, then exhale all the while holding that lift and tuck. The only time you relax that lift/tuck is when you're taking your inhale breath.

Hope that helps.

Laura

Check out this week's O! letter. At the end it tells about that a bit comparing it to a cough.
shelby

Here it is for those who don't get the letter.--Shelby
*C* OxyTIPS
****************

It's not only tax season, it's also the season for colds and flu! If you happen to catch a cold or other illness, try to "Keep on Breathin' ," if possible. And if your nose is too stuffy, just use your mouth! Deep breathing will give your body the extra oxygen it needs to recover more quickly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On the subject of colds... and coughs, in particular. The next time you cough (or fake a
cough) place your hands against your sides, just under your ribcage and feel your diaphragm and abdominal muscles working automatically. Try it once more, and feel the "action" that happens just beneath your breastbone.

Using the combination of your diaphragm and your abdominal muscles together will add lots more power to your breathing!

Breathe in deeply, then pretend that you are going to cough (with the same muscular action as above), but instead of actually coughing, just HOLD your abdominal muscles in that tightened "about-to-cough" position. This is very similar to the feeling of doing the abdominal Lift, a very important part of the Oxycise! Basic Breath.

By following Jill's instructions you will know how LONG to hold the Lift, and when to RELAX it!

Thanks for the great advice - and i did read the newsletter as well. I didn't Oxycise yet today, but will try it out tomorrow.

I guess the reason why it is confusing to me is that when I do my "lift", it seems to naturally want to push the air OUT, not IN. It seems more natural to lift when exhaling...

That's the kicker. That desire makes you work those muscles. The physical therapist I saw after the birth of Zoe-Louise encouraged to do the same thing.
Shelby

I also found it helpful to do the basic breath lying down. You can really feel the muscles working that way, and it's a more natural position for breathing too.

Laura

I've been having trouble waking up (I feel like a truck ran over me). Maybe I should do a few basic breaths while still in bed (laying down) to help me wake up a bit in the morning.

Maybe I'll go take a nap now and try it afterwards