About Core Tone Fitness

The Hypopressive Technique was originally created by Dr Marcel Caufiez in the 1980s as an effective tool for pelvic floor restoration in post-partum women. Its popularity rapidly spread to other fitness and rehabilitation areas due to the numerous benefits that this innovative technique induces when practised regularly. This technique is also related to certain Yoga postures such as Uddiyana Bhanda and the bodybuilding practice known as the ‘stomach vacuum’.

The sequence of poses and moves in coordination with the specific breathing technique are designed to act upon the different myofascial chains of the body causing improvements in overall functionality.

Although you might initially experience some resistance to the concept, you are invited to open your mind and discover a smarter way to train your core. In as little as 20 minutes per session, with regular practice and NO EQUIPMENT, you will notice the benefits in only 2 months *

Post-pregnancy recovery, pelvic floor and core restoration

Hypopressive techniques were originally created in an effort to treat and restore the core and pelvic floor in post pregnancy and in women who suffered from pelvic floor disorders such as, urinary incontinence and/or organ prolapses.

The focus on reducing the intra-abdominal pressure during exercises makes Hypopressive training a safe and efficient method to tone the core muscles after giving birth without compromising the pelvic floor function. The breathing technique involved in the hypopressive practice also improves and expediates diastasis recti recovery and pelvic floor restoration.

Some conventional core and pelvic floor training programs may provoke a pathologically excessive tone of the pelvic floor and abdominal muscles leading to a constant state of muscle hypertension, which can cause many different problems and disorders, such as:

• Difficulty urinating, inability to empty the bladder fully, constant feelings of urgency and Cystitis
• Chronic pelvic and leg pain
• Difficulties during labour
• Excessive abdominal diastasis post birth

Hypopressive techniques are designed to achieve the adequate resting tone of these muscles and the ability to manage the increases of intra-abdominal pressure when coughing, sneezing, running and any other activities without having to keep these muscles in constant contraction. It would be exhausting and harmful if, for instance, if you actively tried to keep your belly flat.

Urinary incontinence prevention and treatment

Unlike other pelvic floor training techniques, the Hypopressive Techniques stimulates the fibres responsible for maintaining the resting tone (not the strength) of this muscle group. By doing consistent Hypopressive exercises the pelvic floor muscles will maintain a normal resting tone and will be able to manage the internal pressures produced by actions such as coughing, sneezing or other more intense physical activities such as running or jumping without suffering urinary leakage.

Pelvic organs prolapse prevention and treatment

The “plunger” effect produced by the diaphragm when performing hypopressive exercises will help to maintain and/or relocate the internal organs in both the abdominal and pelvic cavities. It will also enhance blood circulation within the perineal area improving tissue function and elasticity.

Rehabilitation

Hypopressive exercises are an excellent tool not only for postural improvement but also for prevention and treatment of core disorders and other injuries.

Improve your posture

The combination of poses and moves involved in these exercises are based on the principle of spinal auto-elongation. This principle involves a reflex activation of the muscles that facilitate static posture such as the erector spinae. Improved posture helps reduce back pain and correct other biomechanical imbalances.

Restore and increase respiratory function

When performing the Hypopressive specific breathing technique, the diaphragm (main muscle used for breathing) undergoes a maximum stretch, increasing its mobility and reducing the tension upon the intercostal muscles which are attached to the ribs and vertebrae.

Additionally, the specific poses included in the training routine are designed to involve other inspiratory muscles such as, the serratus, to assist in rib cage expansion and achieve superior lung capacity. Various types of respiratory dysfunction such as asthma, can be improved with Hypopressive exercises.

Performance

There are three main reasons why you should include hypopressivess in your athletic training plans:

Prevent and/or avoid injuries

When performing athletic type movements, weak, ineffective core muscle synergy places athletes at a higher risk of injury. When the internal pressures in the abdominal cavity are incorrectly managed the weakest points of the core musculature are most affected. This can result in herniation of the muscle walls both, abdominal and inguinal, cause the vertebral discs to bulge and/or other biomechanical compensations.

Hypopressive exercises restore core muscle synergy involving not only the abdominal muscles but also the diaphragm, back and pelvic floor muscles. It will also help normalise overall muscle and conjunctive tissue tensions, consequently minimising the risk of injuries whilst improving musculoskeletal function.

Improve respiratory parameters

The practice of hypopressive exercises can induce diaphragm tone normalisation and enhance both inspiratory and expiratory muscle activity, resulting in greater lung capacity.

This has given rise to the following theories, which are currently being researched:

• an increased oxygen supply to the muscles could result in an increase in VO2 max
• intermittent inspiratory apneas involved in the hyporessive practice may also induce an increase in the production of endogenic erythropoietin (EPO)

Stress induced urinary incontinence in female athletes

Stress urinary incontinence is a very common disorder among women athletes. It is defined as the loss of urine caused by a situation that increases intra-abdominal pressure, such as running, jumping or weight lifting.

The constant repetition of high impact activities can negatively affect the female pelvic floor, leading to severe perineal weakness, pathological lack of tone of pelvic floor muscles or even internal organ prolapse at an early age.

By including hypopressive exercises in athletic training programs for women, you will help to prevent these disorders, increasing the tone and functionality of the perineum, (which is anatomically different to men) and help to maintain a continent core i.e., a core that is capable of managing the intra-abdominal pressures produced by high impact movements included in athletic performance.

Aesthetics

If you are looking for a method that effectively helps to flatten the stomach without resorting to boring, difficult and unsafe sit-ups then Core Tone Fitness is the solution.

The movement inwards and upwards of the abdominal wall produced by the diaphragm provokes not only an eccentric contraction of the deep core muscles but also a reflex activation of the tonic fibres of the core muscles responsible for maintaining the resting tone necessary for body support and healthy posture.

This way your abdominals will remain firm and flat even when they are relaxed!

The increase in the deep abdominal and pelvic floor muscle tone makes Low Pressure Fitness an excellent method for reducing your waist measurements.