---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Because Pilates requires you to press…"
description: "\"Because Pilates requires you to press your abs toward your spine, you don't want to allow your lower belly to round and press out as air comes into you..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e3/denise-austin-3240_air_because-pilates-requires-you-to-press-yo_1129934.png"
---

#  Because Pilates requires you to press your abs toward your…

![“Because Pilates requires you to press your abs toward your spine, you don't want to allow your lower belly to round and press out as air comes into your lungs. You also don't want that abdominal lock to force you to breathe shallowly. To breathe correctly, you must expand your rib cage, primarily…” quote by Denise Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e3/denise-austin-3240_air_because-pilates-requires-you-to-press-yo_1129934.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e3/denise-austin-3240_air_because-pilates-requires-you-to-press-yo_1129934.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e3/denise-austin-3240_air_because-pilates-requires-you-to-press-yo_1129934.png)

> “Because Pilates requires you to press your abs toward your spine, you don't want to allow your lower belly to round and press out as air comes into your lungs. You also don't want that abdominal lock to force you to breathe shallowly. To breathe correctly, you must expand your rib cage, primarily through your midback.”

[Denise Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-austin/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Explains that proper Pilates breathing requires rib cage expansion via the midback, avoiding abdominal locking that restricts breath and spinal alignment.

**In simple terms:** Breathe using ribs, not belly.

Key Takeaway

Maintain open rib cage during moves.

Themes

fitness breathing posture

Mood

educational encouraging

Type

instructional healthful

When to use this quote

- Pilates class
- home workout
- rehab sessions

Key Concepts

anatomy core stability

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you feel midback expansion?
- What cues prevent shallow breathing?

A Different Perspective

Complex movements may challenge beginners.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Exercise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exercise/) [Pilates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pilates/) [Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/press/)

## Related quotes

> [Of all the forms of exercise I've taught, Pilates is one of my favorites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-austin/of-all-the-forms-of-exercise-i-ve-taught-pilates-is-one-of-my/)

[Denise Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-austin/)

> [You don't need any heavy, expensive equipment, and you can do Pilates anywhere, anytime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-austin/you-don-t-need-any-heavy-expensive-equipment-and-you-can-do-pilates/)

[Denise Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-austin/)

> [To do Pilates moves correctly, you'll need to concentrate on your abs - keeping them pulled in and up - at all times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-austin/to-do-pilates-moves-correctly-you-ll-need-to-concentrate-on-your-abs/)

[Denise Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-austin/)

> [Because there's no bouncing, jarring, or stress to your body, Pilates offers the ideal form of exercise for people who, because of joint pain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-austin/because-there-s-no-bouncing-jarring-or-stress-to-your-body-pilates/)

[Denise Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-austin/)

> [In addition to firming your abdominals, Pilates also helps strengthen and stretch the entire body from head to toe, helping you to stand taller.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-austin/in-addition-to-firming-your-abdominals-pilates-also-helps-strengthen/)

[Denise Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-austin/)

> [Pilates helps condition the body without punishing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-austin/pilates-helps-condition-the-body-without-punishing-it/)

[Denise Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-austin/)

> [In other fitness pursuits, you may have learned to go through the motions first and perfect your form second. In Pilates, it's the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-austin/in-other-fitness-pursuits-you-may-have-learned-to-go-through-the/)

[Denise Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-austin/)

> [As you do Pilates, use your breath to draw your mind into the present and whisk the tension out of your body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-austin/as-you-do-pilates-use-your-breath-to-draw-your-mind-into-the-present/)

[Denise Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-austin/)

> [To me, that's the most exciting aspect of Pilates. It doesn't matter who you are - athlete or couch potato, toned or flabby, man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-austin/to-me-that-s-the-most-exciting-aspect-of-pilates-it-doesn-t-matter/)

[Denise Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-austin/)

> [Some of the routines take less than 10 minutes, making Pilates the perfect form of exercise for anyone who finds there's not enough time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-austin/some-of-the-routines-take-less-than-10-minutes-making-pilates-the/)

[Denise Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-austin/)

> [Possibly one of the most exciting aspects of Pilates is that anyone can do it, and everyone can achieve amazing results.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-austin/possibly-one-of-the-most-exciting-aspects-of-pilates-is-that-anyone/)

[Denise Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-austin/)

> [If you were fit before your pregnancy, a Pilates program will quickly help restore your figure and your energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-austin/if-you-were-fit-before-your-pregnancy-a-pilates-program-will-quickly/)

[Denise Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-austin/)

> [In my home gym, I'll do targeted exercises like pilates, light weights and stretching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-austin/in-my-home-gym-i-ll-do-targeted-exercises-like-pilates-light-weights/)

[Denise Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-austin/)

> [“Such a nasty bruise,” he says, staring straight into my eyes. I am stunned he can see it. Delicate to the touch and tender…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/such-a-nasty-bruise-he-says-staring-straight-into-my-eyes-i-am/)

[Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/)

> [“Savannah came to him instantly, her face lit up with some emotion he dared not name.She was in a man's silk shirt and nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-feehan/savannah-came-to-him-instantly-her-face-lit-up-with-some-emotion-he/)

[Christine Feehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-feehan/)

## More by Denise Austin

> [Of all the forms of exercise I've taught, Pilates is one of my favorites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-austin/of-all-the-forms-of-exercise-i-ve-taught-pilates-is-one-of-my/)

[Denise Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-austin/)

> [When someone tells me that I look great, I say thanks and then share a secret: It's not the clothes or the makeup; it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-austin/when-someone-tells-me-that-i-look-great-i-say-thanks-and-then-share-a/)

[Denise Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-austin/)

> [Life is too short to waste time harboring bad feelings about anyone. Forgive, forget, then move on!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-austin/life-is-too-short-to-waste-time-harboring-bad-feelings-about-anyone/)

[Denise Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-austin/)

> [Getting healthy, getting into shape is a gradual process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-austin/getting-healthy-getting-into-shape-is-a-gradual-process/)

[Denise Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-austin/)

> [My unique contribution to the fitness industry is bringing fitness into the home through cable, VHS, DVD and now digital formats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-austin/my-unique-contribution-to-the-fitness-industry-is-bringing-fitness/)

[Denise Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-austin/)

> [I'm well aware of the health dangers of an expanding waistline and belly fat: diabetes, heart disease, stroke, even cancer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-austin/i-m-well-aware-of-the-health-dangers-of-an-expanding-waistline-and/)

[Denise Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-austin/)

> [I used to have a 28-inch waist.' I hear this complaint from women over 40 a lot, and I can sympathize.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-austin/i-used-to-have-a-28-inch-waist-i-hear-this-complaint-from-women-over/)

[Denise Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-austin/)

> [Don't stop moving - the best time of your life is just around the corner!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-austin/don-t-stop-moving-the-best-time-of-your-life-is-just-around-the-corner/)

[Denise Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-austin/)

> [Don't lose sleep over things you cannot change! Wash away guilt - it's not worth it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-austin/don-t-lose-sleep-over-things-you-cannot-change-wash-away-guilt-it-s/)

[Denise Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-austin/)

> [Exercise is the best preventative medicine there is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-austin/exercise-is-the-best-preventative-medicine-there-is/)

[Denise Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-austin/)

> [Many women find long, lean sexy legs hard to get. One reason is that before menopause, most of us store a disproportionate amount of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-austin/many-women-find-long-lean-sexy-legs-hard-to-get-one-reason-is-that/)

[Denise Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-austin/)

> [There's always going to be people that hurt you so what you have to do is keep on trusting and just be more careful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-austin/there-s-always-going-to-be-people-that-hurt-you-so-what-you-have-to/)

[Denise Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-austin/)

> [Make peace with your past - so it won't spoil the present!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-austin/make-peace-with-your-past-so-it-won-t-spoil-the-present/)

[Denise Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-austin/)

> [You have to believe love is unconditional before you can actually start meeting its conditions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-austin/you-have-to-believe-love-is-unconditional-before-you-can-actually/)

[Denise Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-austin/)

> [Helping people keeps me going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-austin/helping-people-keeps-me-going/)

[Denise Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-austin/)

[Explore all 135 Denise Austin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-austin/)

## More Air quotes

> [I will be a tireless advocate for our District's defense priorities including Sheppard Air Force Base, Pantex, Bell Helicopter, universities conducting important research, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronny-jackson/i-will-be-a-tireless-advocate-for-our-district-s-defense-priorities/)

[Ronny Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronny-jackson/)

> [I have lifted my plane . . . for perhaps a thousand flights and I have never felt her wheels glide from the Earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/i-have-lifted-my-plane-for-perhaps-a-thousand-flights-and-i-have/)

[Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/)

> [If U.S. air, naval, missile, and ground forces were not in and around Korea, and if we were not treaty-bound to fight alongside South…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/if-u-s-air-naval-missile-and-ground-forces-were-not-in-and-around/)

[Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/)

> [The cooler days have brought a wistful mood upon him. The smell of coalsmoke in the air at night. Old times, dead years. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-cooler-days-have-brought-a-wistful-mood-upon-him-the-smell-of/)

[Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/)

> [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/)

[Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/)

> [I'm a candle flame that sways in currents of air you can't see. You need to be the one who steadies me to burn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadine-gordimer/i-m-a-candle-flame-that-sways-in-currents-of-air-you-can-t-see-you/)

[Nadine Gordimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadine-gordimer/)

> [It is sometimes said that scientists are unromantic, that their passion to figure out robs the world of beauty and mystery. But is it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/it-is-sometimes-said-that-scientists-are-unromantic-that-their/)

[Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/)

> [ Just between you and me, shouldn’t the World Bank be encouraging MORE migration of the dirty industries to the LDCs \[Less Developed Countries\]?... I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-summers/just-between-you-and-me-shouldn-t-the-world-bank-be-encouraging-more/)

[Lawrence Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-summers/)

> [After a few mouthfuls of moon-flavored air, even the stubbornly drowsy can find themselves wide-eyed.. All the normal noises of life were gone, leaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/after-a-few-mouthfuls-of-moon-flavored-air-even-the-stubbornly-drowsy/)

[N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/)

> [There was a little nook on Air Force Two that contained the vice presidential seal, and I would sort of wedge myself in there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-biden/there-was-a-little-nook-on-air-force-two-that-contained-the-vice/)

[Jill Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-biden/)

> [Words are substance strange. Speak one and the air ripples into another's ears. Write one and the eye laps it up. But the sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-beachy-quick/words-are-substance-strange-speak-one-and-the-air-ripples-into/)

[Dan Beachy-Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-beachy-quick/)

> [ \[A\]s you partake of the world's bill of fare, that's darned good advice to follow. Do a lot of spitting out the hot air.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/a-s-you-partake-of-the-world-s-bill-of-fare-that-s-darned-good-advice/)

[Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/)

> [...As the disparity between the rich and the poor grows, the fight to corner resources is intensifying. To push through their "sweetheart deals," to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/as-the-disparity-between-the-rich-and-the-poor-grows-the-fight-to/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [Washington bureaucrats have classified the very air we exhale as a pollutant and have gone unchallenged in this incredible assertion. The logical consequence is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/washington-bureaucrats-have-classified-the-very-air-we-exhale-as-a/)

[Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/)

> [“It is unnatural to fear something natural.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/it-is-unnatural-to-fear-something-natural/)

[Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/)

Browse all 6,278 Air quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Because Pilates requires you to press your abs toward your spine, you don't want to allow your lower belly to round and press out as air comes into your lungs. You also don't want that abdominal lock to force you to breathe shallowly. To breathe correctly, you must expand your rib cage, primarily through your midback.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Denise Austin"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-austin/because-pilates-requires-you-to-press-your-abs-toward-your-spine-you/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Air"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-austin/because-pilates-requires-you-to-press-your-abs-toward-your-spine-you/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e3/denise-austin-3240_air_because-pilates-requires-you-to-press-yo_1129934.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e3/denise-austin-3240_air_because-pilates-requires-you-to-press-yo_1129934.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e3/denise-austin-3240_air_because-pilates-requires-you-to-press-yo_1129934.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Because Pilates requires you to press your abs toward your spine, you don't want to allow your lower belly…” — Denise Austin",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Denise Austin",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-austin/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Because Pilates requires you to press...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-austin/because-pilates-requires-you-to-press-your-abs-toward-your-spine-you/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-austin/because-pilates-requires-you-to-press-your-abs-toward-your-spine-you/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
