Your Leggings & Your Breath

I get it. I used to wake up every morning and the first thing I grab to put on is my leggings. I have leggings to lounge in. I have leggings to run errands in. I have leggings to work out in. I even have “fancy” leggings to wear on an evening out. What woman doesn’t love leggings? There are so many different types and styles. They hold everything in place and make your look and feel your best.

 But did you know that your leggings could be harmful to your body? So many of us wear leggings for multiple hours of the day, and all that tight, high waisted goodness is impacting our breathing, core, and pelvic floor.

 When you take a big inhale, your diaphragm moves down to let air into the lungs. This causes lengthening in the surrounding muscles including the core and pelvic floor. Wearing tight leggings can constrict the movement of the diaphragm. Instead of the muscles lengthening, this can cause shorted, tighter muscles. This causes something called a “reversed breathing pattern”. When you take a deep breath, your stomachs draws in, instead of pushing outward. This can cause many issues with your pelvic floor as well your core and lower back. People that have reversed breathing tend to breath from their chest instead of deep into their abdominals. Problems that arise could be constipation, urinary leakage, painful intercourse, lower back pain, and pelvic heaviness, just to name a few.

 Long story short. Wear the leggings for your 45-minute work. Ditch the leggings when you are lounging around or running errands. Find some new sweatpants or joggers to wear during the day instead. Your body will thank you.