What happens during the hypopressive apnoea?
Here's what we hypothesis during the apnoea breath:
1. You exhale
This empties the lungs and allows the diaphragm to ascend, naturally contacting the core and lifting the pelvic floor muscles.
2. You hold your breath and expand your ribs
Expanding the ribs during the breath hold, increases volume and decreases pressure in the thoracic (not necessarily intra-abdominal) - this is known as Boyles law.
3. A vacuum effect is created
As a result of this pressure change happening in the thoracic we get a drawing up of the pelvic organs and a reflexive lift of the pelvic floor.
4. The deep core activates automatically
The diaphragm, transverse abdominis, multifidus, and pelvic floor all fire together as a coordinated unit. You're not isolating muscles. You're retraining the entire system to work the way it's supposed to.
Why this matters for your clients:
Most people with pelvic floor dysfunction have lost this reflexive coordination. They might be able to consciously squeeze their pelvic floor (a Kegel), but their body has forgotten how to respond automatically during real-life movements like coughing, laughing, lifting, or running.
Hypopressives retrain that reflex. Over time, the body remembers. The pelvic floor starts responding on its own again.
And that's when your clients stop leaking.
Want to go deeper? Because there's way more to it than Boyles law!
In the Hypopressives Teacher Training, you'll learn:
How to cue the apnoea breath so your clients can feel it working
How to troubleshoot when someone can't create the vacuum
How to progress the breath work as their nervous system adapts
The exact science behind why this works (so you can speak to it with authority)