WELCOME TO BREATHE STRONG: PILATES FOR CF
Natasha Gaziano experimented with many types of exercise while studying as a dance major at the University of Florida. When she stumbled across Pilates, she said this is it! Encouraged by the benefits she experienced first hand she decided to become a Pilates practitioner and team-up with Lauren Arce to create Breathe Strong, a comprehensive Pilates program designed to meet the needs of others, like Natasha, living with Cystic Fibrosis.
Developed by Joseph Pilates, who suffered from asthma, and his wife Clara, a trained nurse, Pilates is recognized as a movement-based exercise program that can be tailored to any level of fitness or health. Pilates is particularly effective in improving posture and lung capacity because it focuses on the abs, spine, and breath. Pilates also engages the mind, body, and spirit, which enhances body awareness, body image, self-esteem, concentration, and relaxation.
Coughing and breathing hard over-works the muscles on the front of the neck and chest. This pulls the shoulders and top of the spine to curve forward. The Breathe Strong exercises help improve the CF physique by strengthening the back, lengthening the spine, releasing the shoulders, and opening the chest.
Fitting a medical regimen into a daily routine can sometimes be challenging. So we created Breathe Strong to be a simple, quick, effective way to incorporate exercise into the busy CF schedule. These exercises require no special equipment. And once you become familiar with them, you can do them anytime, anywhere.
Let’s face it, some days are better than others. With this in mind, we offer modifications to the Breathe Strong exercises so that you can perform them even when you are not at your personal best.
Because exercise can stimulate coughing, it aids in airway clearance and helps slow the decline of pulmonary function. In fact, research shows that individuals with CF who are physically active are healthier and experience fewer respiratory complications. So we invite you to be active, stay healthy, and breathe strong!
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