Greetings! My name is Vyacheslav Komakha, I am a professional Stretching trainer, founder of the flexderek.com project. I have coaching practice behind me since 2009 and thousands of students who came to me with one goal - to become flexible, get rid of tension and find lightness in the body. Over the years of practice, I have noticed that most people make the same critical mistake: they fight with their body, clench their teeth, endure pain and hold their breath. Today we will take a closer look at how to breathe properly when Stretching, and why conscious technique for deep muscle relaxation through breathing is the only safe key to perfect splits, a healthy back and beautiful posture.
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How to breathe correctly when Stretching: anatomy and physiology of the process
To understand why breathing is so critical to flexibility, we need to look inside our bodies. When you pull a muscle, your body perceives it as a threat of tearing. In response, the so-called myotatic reflex (stretch reflex) is triggered. The muscle reflexively contracts to protect itself. If at this moment you begin to endure pain and hold your breath, the brain receives a distress signal: “We are in danger!” The sympathetic nervous system turns on - “fight or flight” mode. Adrenaline is released, the muscles harden, and any attempt to stretch deeper turns into violence against the body, leading to injury.
My technique, which I have honed over the years, is based on the opposite approach. Our goal is to consciously activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for rest, recovery and relaxation. The only control panel for this system that is directly accessible to us is our breathing. When we breathe deeply, slowly and consciously, we stimulate the vagus nerve (nervus vagus). It sends a signal to the brain: “Everything is calm, we are safe, we can relax.” The braking signal reaches the muscle spindles, muscle tone decreases, and they allow themselves to stretch without resistance and pain.
Golgi tendon organs, located at the junction of muscles and tendons, also respond to slow breathing and gentle tension. After about 15–20 seconds of holding a static posture, subject to proper breathing, these receptors forcibly relax the muscle. It is at this moment that a gentle, therapeutic increase in range of motion occurs. Without proper breathing, this mechanism simply will not start.
Deep Muscle Relaxation Technique: A Step-by-Step Guide
Over the years of teaching, I have developed a simple but incredibly effective breathing pattern that anyone can master right now. Forget about shallow chest breathing as your shoulders move up and down. We need to include the diaphragm and stomach in the work.
Diaphragmatic breathing as the basis of relaxation
- Starting position: Sit comfortably or lie on your back with one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach.
- Inhale: Inhale air slowly through your nose. At the same time, your chest should remain practically motionless, and your stomach should inflate like a balloon. The hand on your stomach should rise.
- Exhalation: Exhale smoothly and relaxed through your mouth, keeping your lips slightly parted. At the same time, the stomach gradually lowers and “sticks” to the spine.
This type of breathing involves the lower lobes of the lungs, where the largest number of receptors of the parasympathetic nervous system are concentrated. This is the basis of any quality Stretching.
The rule “Inhale - preparation, exhale - movement”
Remember the golden rule of my training: any movement towards deepening the stretch is performed exclusively while exhaling. Never go into tension while inhaling.
- Phase 1 (Inhalation): You are in the starting position. Take a deep diaphragmatic breath through your nose for 3-4 seconds. You tune in to relax the area you are going to stretch.
- Phase 2 (Exhalation): Begin a smooth, long exhalation through your mouth (lasting 6–8 seconds). At the same time as you begin to exhale, you gently, without jerking, bend forward, fall into a splits, or perform another flexibility exercise. Imagine that the exhalation is literally “blowing” the tension out of the target muscle.
- Phase 3 (Fixation): By remaining at the point of maximum comfortable tension, you do not hold your breath. You continue to breathe deeply and calmly according to the pattern: inhale for 4 counts, exhale for 8 counts. With each new exhalation, try to release a little more tension, allowing the body to sink lower under its own weight.
Top Breathing Mistakes When Stretching That Hinder Your Progress
Even experienced athletes often make mistakes that ruin all efforts to develop flexibility. Let's look at them in detail so that you never repeat them.
- Holding your breath (apnea). This happens automatically when a person feels pain or strong tension. Holding your breath instantly increases intra-abdominal and blood pressure, leads to vasospasm and puts muscles into maximum tone. A tight muscle does not stretch - it tears. If you find yourself holding your breath, immediately reduce the range of the stretch and take a deep breath.
- Frequent and shallow breathing (hyperventilation). This kind of breathing is typical of panic. It saturates the blood with oxygen, but reduces the level of carbon dioxide, which leads to vasoconstriction and muscle spasm. Breathing should be slow and deep. If you breathe quickly, your body thinks that you are running away from a predator, and in such a situation it definitely does not need the splits.
- Sharp inhalations and exhalations. Any sharpness in breathing provokes sharpness in movements. Stretching is a smooth, meditative practice. The breath should flow continuously, like water. The end of the inhalation should gently transition to the beginning of the exhalation, without pauses or jolts.
- Ignoring pain signals. Breathing helps relieve discomfort, but it should not mask the acute pain. If you feel a sharp, shooting or joint pain, no amount of breathing will help, this is a signal to immediately stop the exercise. We work only with pleasant, nagging muscle pain.
Practical application of breathing techniques in training flexderek.com
In my personal classes, I always teach how to control breathing in every micromovement. Let's look at how to apply this knowledge using the example of a classic exercise - seated forward fold (paschimottanasana).
Sit on the floor, straighten your legs in front of you. Take a deep breath through your nose, lengthening your spine upward as if you were being pulled by the top of your head toward the ceiling. Start exhaling slowly through your mouth and at the same time gently lower your stomach onto your thighs. Please note: not towards the knees (this will bend the back and pinch the neck), but rather the stomach towards the hips. Feel the stretch in the back of your thighs and hamstrings.
When you reach the first point of resistance, stop. Inhale, slightly lifting your body (literally half a centimeter). On your next long exhalation, relax your lower back and the backs of your legs, allowing your body to drop slightly lower. Repeat this cycle 5-7 times. You will be surprised how much deeper your crease will become without any effort of will, solely due to the fact that you let your breath do the work for you.
The same principle works great when Stretching into longitudinal and transverse splits. When lowering yourself on cubes or leaning on your hands, make micro-movements downwards only as you exhale. While holding the splits statically, concentrate on exhaling, directing it to the groin and hip joints. Imagine how with each exhalation the muscles become soft, warm and flexible, like plasticine that was heated in your hands.
Conclusion: Your path to flexibility is through calm exhalation.
Stretching is not about fighting your body or overcoming pain for the sake of a beautiful photo on social networks. This is a deep dialogue with your own nervous system, where the breath acts as a translator. When you learn to breathe correctly, you will realize that your muscles are capable of much more than you thought. Progressing in flexibility will be a sustainable, safe and, most importantly, enjoyable process. Forget about rigid Stretching methods through force. Take care of your body, breathe consciously, and changes will come faster than you think.