Let It Go Part 2: Five tips to help break the habit of sucking in your stomach
Years of sucking in can make it hard to break this harmful habit.
If you haven’t already be sure to read our blog post on why sucking in your stomach does more harm than good for your core and pelvic floor. But if you just want a quick recap here’s the gist:
A healthy core (this includes your pelvic floor!!) is made up of muscles that can both contract AND relax. Turn on AND let go. Engage AND be at ease.
When you hold your core tight all day you make some muscles over work and others don’t get a chance to engage like they are supposed to.
Sucking in your stomach is not good for optimal breathing or managing pressure and therefore has a negative impact on the overall health of your core and pelvic floor
So if you’re convinced you’d like to break the habit of sucking in here are 5 things you can do to get started!
1. Practice Mindful Awareness
Begin to notice when you’re sucking in or holding your belly tight. Become aware of how you FEEL. For me I’m usually stressed or overstimulated when I notice myself doing it.
Now, let it go. Let your belly be at ease and remind yourself this is good for you. Notice how you feel after. Repeat this as often as you need to without judegment. By bringing your attention to how this change in posture improves how you feel you’re more likely to make the habit change.
2. Learn Diaphragmatic Breathing
Practice breathing with your diaphragm into your rib cage, belly and pelvic floor in varying positions. Start by lying on your back and then transition to lying on your side, hands and knees, seated and eventually standing.
I love practicing in hands and knees so I can get that feedback of letting my belly fall towards the floor when I inhale. If you’re an app member here’s a great video tutorial!
3. Watch What You Wear
Clothing items like:
a bra with a tight band
jeans that make you feel like you have to suck in
tight leggings that dig into your belly
…may actually be encouraging the habit of sucking in. Opt for clothing that allows you to breathe and feel comfortable with your belly at rest.
4. Try Out Self Massage
If you feel comfortable you can gently massage your belly. This is a great way to remind your body it’s safe to let your stomach be relaxed and can help to ease tension.
Every core holds tension in different places but you may try focusing on the area right under your rib cage, your waistline and the space between the top of your hip and your bottom rib. Notice what brings relief and continue to work gently there.
5. Choose Fitness that Supports Healthy Core Habits
Choosing a fitness program that helps you become more attuned to your body is a great way to build the mental and physical awareness you need to break this habit. At Materra Method we believe how you work out with us is how you walk out into the world. This is why we:
Start and end every single class with diaphragmatic breath to help you bring good breathing mechanics with you throughout class.
Incorporate purposeful pelvic floor and core cueing in exercises where it’s needed but, don’t encourage you to have them “turned on” the whole class.
Use thoughtful core and pelvic floor connection cues to help you engage your core muscles instead of sucking in.
ALWAYS end class with pelvic floor relaxation and a body scan to help you practice mindfulness and ease.
One final note.
I want to address that letting our bellies be soft is not just a physical change. Living in a world that praises “flat bellies” and “bounce back culture” letting your stomach be natural or neutral can be mentally challenging. Give yourself grace as you give this a go and remember how beneficial it is for you health!
If you have thoughts or questions I’d love to hear from you in the comments! If you’re interested in learning more about our app you can do so here!
