Course XVIII - Teaching 2: Respiratory Gymnastics

This gymnastics, connected with several exercises of Anatomical-Functional Gymnastics, can be practiced but not combined with other gymnastics.

Respiration for heart recovery:

1. In lateral or at attention position, breathe out very deeply and later breathe in while raising at the same time the arms at both sides until the horizontal position. Without breath retention, breathe out again while you lower the arms.
2. After every great effort, for example after running, first the runner should take several steps breathing calmly, while raising at the same time his arms towards his sides (backwards), and lowering them with each breathing out. Once the heart and lungs are somewhat calmed down, it is recommendable to continue with certain light respiratory exercise, whose purpose will be to expel rapidly the vitiated air from the lungs. In this sense, the best exercise is that of full breathing out. Also the exercise of great respiration, mentioned below, is very fit when combined with full breathing out.
3. In case of efforts disturbing as much the respiration and heartbeat as to be quite hard calm it, the gymnast should sit down on the ground, his back lightly leaned on a wall or tree, and should breathe with no tension, calmly and widely, especially trying a very deep breathing out. This breath can be even easier by leaning both hands on the ground; so, the shoulder blades are fixed and support several muscles, which come from there and are used in the operation of the respiratory system.
4. Moreover, abdominal respiration, now detailed as calm breath, is very suitable:
   Lying down face upward, breathe in calmly as much air as possible only through the abdomen (diaphragm), and deactivate the chest. The beginner can shrink a little his legs and should put both hands on the abdomen to check the process. In lying down position face upwards, also he should often practice full breath.
5. The lying down position face upwards is especially fit to heart recovery after big efforts.

Great respiration:
Raise the arms stretched at both sides until the arms are a little over the horizontal line; later, lower them a little below the horizontal line, with the palms of the hands upwards, and then raise the arms high up. While raising the arms for the first time, breathe deeply; while lowering a little your arms and at the same time turning again the palms of the hands upwards, breathe out a little; later, breathe in and fill up the lungs while raising the arms for the second time, by leading the arms stretched upward. During the last part of the breathing in, raise the body on tiptoe and with separate legs. Again, while lowering the arms, breathe in slowly and make the same pause but in the contrary direction while breathing in a little and later breathing out fully, while leading the arms to their initial position. Also this exercise can be practiced while walking.

Full Breathing In:
You can entirely expel vitiated air from your lungs through full breathing out. To get this result, compress duly your lungs with certain inclination of your trunk forward and by crossing your stretched or leaned arms in front of the body, in such a way that your arms squeeze your ribs at each side. At the same time, you strive for expelling totally the air from your lungs. Also you can press on the lower ribs with your hands, by placing them at both sides of the chest wall. You do not need to use arms and hands if your body is already developed.

Respiratory Exercises.

Chest respiration. Respiratory exercise number 1.
In lateral position, first breathe out. Later, breathe in slowly and fully through the nose, by filling up the chest and shrinking the abdomen. Arms are a little bent, and hands grabbing one another in front of the abdomen, elbows always a little forward. At the last moment of your breathing in, raise the body on tiptoe. Later breathe out slowly and offer resistance with your tongue, teeth and lips to the air that escapes. Practice then a simple soothing breath.

Diaphragm breath for special chest muscle development. Respiratory exercise number 2.
Breathe out in lateral position. Breathe in slowly with your chest, while at the same time you slide both hands on the thighs upwards, lean them directly below your hips, and lead your elbows a little forward. You expel the air with muscles of the stomach in such a way that just the abdominal wall and lower ribs move inwards. Yet the higher part of your chest must remain fixed, such as it was at the end of breathing in. Once you breathed out as much air as possible, with the higher part of your chest fixed, you let again the air in the lungs, which makes you feel your chest very expanded and enlarged. Later, breathe out slowly and practice a full breathing out.
This is the best airing exercise for that part of the lungs that are near the heart, and where TB bacilli settle.

Full breath. Respiratory exercise number 3.
Breathe out fully and later breathe in by filling up first the abdomen (diaphragm) and at once the middle and higher area of the chest. At the last moment of breathing in, shrink a little the abdomen, so that the raised chest may get a little support. Breathe out slowly with resistance offered by your mouth (tongue, teeth, and lips) first with the abdomen, and later by emptying your chest too. Add a full breathing out, and again breathe in a light form, while you raise your arms at both sides. Practice this exercise also in lying down position face upwards.

Abdominal breath. Respiratory exercise number 4.
Practice the exercise described under “Respiration for heart recovery” (abdominal exercise) in such a way that you do the abdominal breathing in absorbing the air with your mouth that, as if it were whistling, offers resistance. Also, breathe out with resistance. Also practice these exercises standing.

Breathing out. Respiratory exercise number 5.
First, both arms forward, and later, at both sides backwards; breathe in with no efforts and without filling up your lungs. Then, breathe out naturally, and end up trying as much as possible to expel the air from your lungs to the utmost. While you breathe out, lead your arms with vigor forward; your trunk must be lightly inclined, according to the description under “Full breathing out”.
One’s body shall get used to a deep breathing out through this very important exercise.

Chest breath, breathing in with resistance. Respiratory exercise number 6.
Breathe in a little of air, and later breathe out fully (see full breathing out). Both hands grasped to each other in front of the abdomen; absorb slowly through semi-closed lips, and breathe in this way with resistance the air inside the body. In the beginning of breathing in, a cavity takes form in the area of the abdomen. Later breathe out slowly with resistance, and add a light breath for rest. Practice this exercise only when you know in depth the other exercises; beginners should not practice it with too much violence.

Unilateral costal breath. Respiratory exercise number 7.
Practice costal breath as follows: lean your left arm and hand on your hip and breathe out. Later, breathe in deeply and lead your right arm stretched to your side upwards, bending also the higher part of the vertebral spine alone, towards the left side. Practice this movement with drive, but with little lateral movement of the spine.

Costal breath. Respiratory exercise number 8.
Bend the trunk forward, almost to the horizontal line, and lean your arms on the lower edge of a window, or on any other point at a proper height. After you breathe out fully, breathe in deeply with the lower area of the chest. In the forward-inclined position, the higher part of your chest must not take part. When you hold your arms stretched upwards, you also fix the higher area of your chest, and forcefully this leads to costal breath.