RIB CAGE EXERCISE TWO

Step-by-Step Directions

1. STAND EVENLY ON BOTH FEET

Arms hanging and relaxed by your sides.

2. OPEN YOUR MOUTH SLIGHTLY

3. TURN YOUR PALMS FORWARD

4. STRETCH AND RAISE YOUR ARMS OUT TO YOUR SIDES AND UP

Slowly raise them out to each side and up as if drawing an arc with your fingertips,
Maintain a maximum stretch all the way. Air will naturally inhale through your mouth.

5. ARMS STRETCHED –ANGLE FORWARD BY EYES– PUT PALMS

TOGETHER
Your raised and stretched arms should be angled by the tip of your nose. Feel the
stretch from your back and sides up through your arms. Keep your mouth open. Relax
your throat and stomach if either have tensed.

6. MAINTAIN STRETCH FOR A SLOW SILENT COUNT TO 6

Do not breathe in or out at this time.

7. KEEP RIB CAGE EXPANDED MUSCULARLY -ARMS DOWN- NO

EXHALE
Your ribs expand out and up from the sides of your back. Do not use your stomach
muscles. Do not try to raise from your chest or shoulders. Keep your ribs expanded.

8. SILENTLY AND SLOWLY COUNT TO 6

Think the count, do not whisper. Let your arms hang relaxed by your sides. Keep your
mouth slightly open. (This will help keep your throat unlocked.) You are keeping your rib
cage expanded, your diaphragm stretched and are not making vocal sound, so there’s
no physical reason to breathe during these few seconds unless your rib cage starts to
fall or you’ve taken in too much air during the beginning of the exercise.

- Keep your ribs expanded, mouth open -

9. PLACE ONE HAND ON YOUR CHEST
Check and if needed, correct your posture. Keep your hand there as a reminder to not
move your chest during the following series of breaths. Go on to the next step.

10. PLACE ONE HAND ON YOUR STOMACH

This is to signal yourself that this is the only place you are about to move. You are going
to take a few breaths moving only your abdominal muscles while keeping your rib cage
expanded and unmoving. Keep your hand there and go on to the next step.

11- A. QUICK, TINY INHALE, (Let your stomach move forward) – Pause
Pause for a moment (about two seconds) to give yourself a chance to strengthen your
rib cage expansion and to focus your attention on your sides.

11- B. QUICK, TINY EXHALE – (Let your stomach move inward) – Pause
This should be a very small, quick exhale and a tiny pull-in movement of your stomach.

Take 4 more tiny breaths with a pause after each, for a total of 6 alternate breaths:
A) Breath in - Pause - Strengthen/check your rib cage expansion.
B) Breath out - Pause - Strengthen/check your rib cage expansion.
A) Breath in - Pause - Strengthen/check your rib cage expansion.
B) Breath out - Pause - Strengthen/check your rib cage expansion.

- Keep your ribs expanded muscularly, mouth still open -

12. LOWER YOUR ARMS BY YOUR SIDES

13. LET YOUR RIBS FALL
Relax for a moment, breathing naturally and repeat. You may find yourself panting a bit
when you release the expansion.

PRACTICE 3 SETS DAILY.

10 repetitions = 1 Set.