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Bodyflex: how breathing exercises help you lose weight without the gym

breathing exercises for weight loss

Bodyflex is a weight loss system that has helped many women find their dream figure without intensive training in the gym. Gymnastics allows you to get rid of excess volume in a certain part of the body, learn to breathe correctly and speed up your metabolism. In this material we will talk about the main features of wonderful gymnastics from an American housewife who regained her beautiful figure after giving birth to a child, and we will analyze a set of exercises for beginners aimed at losing weight in the abdomen, sides, hips and problemsothers. areas.

Bodyflex combines elements of yoga, Pilates and stretching. The system was created by the American housewife Greer Childers, who for a long time unsuccessfully fought with excess weight through gymnastics, fitness and exhausting diets. According to the author of the technique, only a trip to an esoteric guru and mastering Eastern breathing practices helped her to adjust her figure without strict dietary restrictions and constant work on her body in the gym.

After achieving the desired result, Childers created her own fitness line for busy housewives, simplifying yoga asanas and making the exercise routine easier. Over time, bodyflex has constantly changed. At first, the author offered interested people training plans of varying effectiveness using her personal invention, the "jimbara" - an expander for static training. Bodyflex was then simplified to 12 static exercises.

Bodyflex became popular in our country after it was promoted by a fitness instructor. The trainer suggests performing breathing exercises every day, combining it with proper nutrition and other physical activities, which significantly increases the effectiveness of the exercises.

principle

The basic principle of gymnastics is proper breathing during exercise. During exercise, the practitioner must periodically hold his breath, using a small volume of the lungs that is not constantly used, which creates a lack of oxygen in the tense muscles. Provoked breathing of oxygen causes oxygen to be sent to problem areas of the body, on which the main work is being done, and activates the fat burning process. This exercise feature allows you not only to break down fat, but also to speed up your metabolism.

benefit

Bodyflex offers a fairly simple workout that does not require additional physical training, going to the gym or constantly working on the muscles. In addition to active fat burning, gymnastics:

  • Improves blood circulation, normalizes the functioning of the cardiovascular system;
  • Increases immunity;
  • It helps to fight stress, apathy, normalize sleep and develop resistance to stress;
  • It does not tighten the muscles;
  • Improves joint mobility;
  • Saturates the brain with oxygen, normalizes cerebral circulation, which helps relieve headaches and migraines;
  • Activates the removal of waste and toxins through abundant sweating;
  • Strengthens the abdominal muscles through diaphragmatic breathing;
  • Improves mood, gives energy and energy.

Bodyflex teaches you how to breathe correctly and instills a love for sports, so gymnastics is suitable for people with a low level of physical fitness and those who are obese.

Contraindications

Bodyflex cannot be practiced if you have:

  • Cardiovascular diseases;
  • Eye diseases (glaucoma, myopia with astigmatism);
  • tuberculosis, asthma;
  • Hypertension and hypotension;
  • Increased intracranial pressure;
  • Changes in blood pressure;
  • acute inflammatory processes;
  • Oncological diseases;
  • Epilepsy;
  • Aortic aneurysm;
  • Infringement;
  • Varicose veins;
  • Diabetes mellitus;
  • Disorders of the pancreas and gastrointestinal tract.

Also, gymnastics should not be performed during pregnancy, menstruation, ARVI and flu or exacerbation of chronic diseases. In any case, before starting classes, you should consult your doctor.

Characteristics of gymnastics

Bodyflex is a specific field of fitness that has a number of characteristics:

  1. Exercise should be performed 2-2, 5 hours after eating. Doing bodyflex exercises immediately after eating can cause stomach discomfort and cause the development of gastrointestinal diseases.
  2. Before the class, you need to air the room.
  3. It is necessary to perform breathing exercises and practices every day, otherwise the training will not give any results.
  4. Active breathing can cause dizziness and, in extreme cases, lead to fainting. These symptoms are often seen in beginners, so training should be done carefully and ideally with a trainer.
  5. Abdominal breathing with long delays can cause hyperventilation or hypoxia, which can lead to unpleasant consequences.

It is important to note that bodyflex is effective for people who are overweight. In addition, exercise should become a way of life even after losing weight, since due to a sharp decrease in the load, the weight may return.

Breathing technique to lose weight at home

Abdominal breathing is the basis of bodyflex. Performing a special technique is aimed at connecting the muscles of the diaphragm with work, which helps to improve blood circulation and saturate the blood with red blood cells that transport oxygen to the cells of the body. At the same time, this type of breathing involves the abdominal muscles, so the main results will be visible in the waist and only after a while in other parts of the body.

Abdominal breathing technique consists of five main stages:

  1. Lung release.You need to press your lips tightly together with a tube and expel all the air that is in your lungs. It is also important to monitor the abdominal muscles: they should be tense and your stomach should be pulled.
  2. Saturation of tissues with oxygen. Pucker your lips tightly and take a deep breath through your nose, using your diaphragm muscles.
  3. "Vacuum". After taking a breath, immediately exhale sharply through the mouth, saying "hip" or "ha". The stomach should be pressed against the spine during exhalation.
  4. Holding your breath.At this moment you need to hold your breath for 8-10 seconds, tensing the abdominal muscles as much as possible and pressing the abdomen towards the ribs. It is at this stage that basic exercises are performed and active fat burning begins.
  5. Relaxation.It is necessary to exhale slowly, relaxing the previously involved muscles.

The basic rule of breathing: exhale through the mouth, inhale through the nose. Along with mastering the technique, a person must learn to control the muscles of the diaphragm and abdomen.

A set of exercises for beginners for all parts of the body

A standard set of bodyflex exercises for beginners aims to work all muscle groups, including the muscles of the face and neck.

Exercise 1. "Lion"

Helps remove double chin and smooth wrinkles.

  1. Stand straight, feet hip-width apart. Move your pelvis back, bend your legs at the knees, rest your palms on your hips, placing your palms on your knees, round your back.
  2. Perform the breathing technique.
  3. In the lag phase, stretch your tongue forward and look at the ceiling. Stay in this position.
  4. After completing the phase, exhale and relax the facial muscles.

Exercise 2. "Diamond"

Strengthens the muscles of the arms and chest.

  1. Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your arms at the elbows and raise them to chest level. Close your fingers to form a diamond shape.
  2. Do a breathing technique.
  3. During the delay phase, tighten your fingers as much as possible, tensing the muscles of the arms and chest.
  4. Stay in this position for the required time.
  5. Exhale, inhale and relax.

Exercise 3. "Boat"

Strengthens and stretches the muscles of the inner thigh, works the muscles of the back.

  1. Sit on the floor and spread your straight legs out to the sides as wide as possible. The socks are directed upwards. Place your palms between your legs.
  2. Perform the breathing technique.
  3. During the lag phase, lean your body forward, extending your body and arms in front of you as much as possible. Stay at the lowest point.
  4. Exhale and repeat the exercise.

Exercise 4. "Dog"

Removes the trouser area and improves the mobility of the hip joints.

  1. Get up on all fours.
  2. Perform the breathing technique.
  3. During the pause, raise the bent leg to the side, lowering the leg slightly and pointing the knee up.
  4. Stay in this position until you exhale.
  5. While inhaling, return to the starting position and repeat the exercise on the other leg. Do three repetitions on each side.

Exercise 5. "Swallowing"

It works the gluteal muscles.

  1. Get up on all fours with emphasis on the elbows.
  2. Round your back a little and perform the breathing technique.
  3. Holding the breath, move the straight leg back, pulling the toe towards you. Adjust to this position.
  4. While inhaling, return to the starting position and repeat the exercise on the other leg. Do three repetitions on each side.

Exercise 6. "Corner"

It helps to strengthen the muscles of the lower part of the leg and the back of the thigh.

  1. Lie on your back. Put your feet on the floor, put your arms along your body. Do a breathing technique.
  2. As you hold, raise your straight legs up, gripping your legs or thighs with your hands. Point the socks towards you, pressing the tail and lower your back to the floor.
  3. Hold the position as long as possible.
  4. Exhale and while exhaling, lower your feet to the floor. Repeat the exercise 3 times.

The main emphasis in the classic bodyflex complex is on the work of the abdominal muscles, thanks to the constant tension of the muscles while holding the breath and performing the exercises. With regular exercises, you can create a beautiful shape of the waist, get rid of excess volume in this area and work the deep abdominal muscles.

For the stomach and sides

Exercise 1. "Lateral extension"

  1. Stand straight, feet hip-width apart.
  2. Perform the breathing technique.
  3. Holding your breath, lift your right arm up and tilt your torso to the left. Make sure your pelvis doesn't shift to the right. The hand is stretched diagonally. The left hand can be placed on the thigh or placed on the stomach.
  4. At the end of the scene, relax and put your hand down. Inhale and repeat the exercise on the other side.

Exercise 2. "Simple press"

  1. Lie on your back. Place your feet on the floor, feet apart at a distance of 30-35 cm from each other.
  2. Do a breathing technique.
  3. During the pause, lift your upper torso off the floor, keeping your arms parallel to the floor with palms facing down. The head is straight, the chin is not pressed to the chest. The gaze is directed forward. The lower back does not come off the floor.
  4. As you exhale, return to the starting position. While inhaling, repeat the exercise.

Exercise 3. "Pretzel"

  1. Sit on the mat, straighten your legs in front of you, feet together.
  2. Perform the breathing technique.
  3. During the lag phase, bend your right leg at the knee and place it on the floor on the outside of your left thigh.
  4. Place your right hand back and with your left hand grab your right thigh and pull it towards your body.
  5. Turn right and look back.
  6. Return to the starting position, exhale and repeat on the other side.

Exercise 4. Horizontal "scissors".

  1. Lie on your back, legs bent. Place your hands under your buttocks and press your lower back into the floor.
  2. Do a breathing technique.
  3. Lift your legs straight up, pull your toes back and perform transverse swings, crossing one leg over the other.
  4. After the time has passed, return to the starting position and breathe.

Exercise 5. Vertical "scissors".

  1. Staying in the same starting position as in the previous exercise, perform the breathing technique.
  2. Holding your breath, lift your legs up, pull your toes back and alternately raise and lower your legs with a minimal range of motion.
  3. Return to the starting position and breathe.

Exercise 6. "Rinse"

  1. Get up on all fours.
  2. Do a breathing technique, hold your breath without pulling in your stomach.
  3. As you hold your breath, relax your stomach and then use your muscles to pull it toward your back. Throughout the delay phase, alternate movements.
  4. Then return to the starting position.

Efficiency and results

There is a lot of controversy about the effectiveness of bodyflex. Some argue that the technique is useless and can only harm the body, others guarantee good results, citing their experience of losing weight.

Regardless of the type of training, a calorie deficit plays a special role in weight loss, which is created only through proper and balanced nutrition. Therefore, to get rid of extra pounds, you should give up fast food, reduce the portions of fatty, starchy and sweet foods, increase the consumption of fresh vegetables, fruits, cereals and give priority to meatand lean fish.

It is worth noting that bodyflex aims to get rid of excess volumes, not kilograms, so at the initial stage you need to record body parameters and track changes after each workout. According to the followers of the technique, with the correct implementation of the technique, constant training and proper nutrition, you can reduce the waist by 5-7 cm per week. It is important to understand that with proper weight loss without returning excess kilograms, the result is not achieved immediately. Complex and long-term work is required.

Expert recommendations

Experts recommend doing the first classes together with a trainer who will show you how to breathe and perform the exercises correctly. This will help to avoid the unpleasant consequences that beginners most often encounter: misunderstanding the work of the diaphragm muscles, dizziness due to prolonged breath holding, etc. Since the most important thing is breathing, it should be worked on first, including daily complexes of 3 -5 exercises to work on the problem area. In the future, with growing experience, you can add variety to your training by working on several muscle groups at once.

Experts also note that bodyflex is not a universal way to lose weight for everyone, as the creator of the technique claims. Gymnastics is not suitable for everyone, so if you notice a deterioration in health or a lack of desired results, you should replace bodyflex with a popular analogue whose effectiveness is guaranteed. This can be Pilates, callanetics, power yoga, dance and classical fitness with cardio and strength exercises.

The results of training are particularly affected by the regularity of training. You should do gymnastics every day, spending 15-20 minutes in the morning before breakfast. If time allows, you can train 2 times a day and perform the breathing technique, tensing the abdominal muscles, at any free time.