THE IMPORTANCE OF HYPOPRESSIVE ABDOMINALS
We have all heard of hypopressive abdominals at some point. Besides being an excellent workout for physical improvement, it has countless benefits, especially for women, such as strengthening the pelvic floor. This exercise consists of strengthening the abdominal muscles, the pelvic floor, and the spinal stabilizers, offering benefits and advantages that hardly any other abdominal training or exercise can offer.
This technique is relatively new in Spain, and its introduction to the fitness world took place some years ago. The main difference with conventional abdominal exercises is that in the latter, pressure is exerted on the abdomen, while in the former, the opposite is true.
Hypopressives have many benefits, both for people who want to tone their body and see physical results, or those who want to recover after an injury or operation. They are also exercises that promote relaxation and can be performed for a few minutes after our usual workout.
Some of the most important benefits are: reduction and toning of the abdominal perimeter (reduces waist and helps flatten the abdomen); correction of postural imbalances preventing pain from poor posture; avoiding or improving urinary incontinence; improving intestinal transit; regulating and controlling breathing; increasing respiratory capacity and therefore, sports performance; preventing abdominal hernias; prevention and recovery of the pelvic floor during the postpartum stage and solving problems related to sexual dysfunction.
Hypopressive sessions or classes usually last an hour, but actually, the exercise is performed for 30 minutes, and the remaining time is used to warm up and stretch the body. The interesting thing about hypopressive abdominals is that we see results when performed 5 days a week, so the classes teach the techniques to be able to do them at home, at least for 20 minutes a day.
Experts in hypopressives point out that the most important aspect of this exercise is breathing. How to control it and through its different patterns, the musculature that stabilizes the lumbar and abdominal part of the body is activated. Thus, other parts of the body such as the pectoralis minor, pectoralis major, trapezius, intercostals, and scalenes are also worked.
Hypopressives can be performed anywhere. You can attend specific classes in different centers where they are taught, especially in Pilates and yoga centers or physiotherapy clinics. They can also be done with a personal trainer or an expert to guide us in the technique to perform them correctly and obtain all the benefits they offer, and we also have the ease and possibility of doing them at home once the technique has been learned.
The results are truly incredible. I, personally, have seen a reduction in my abdominal perimeter thanks to this exercise.