Pilates Technique Thursday: Finding the Purpose in Every Breath

Exhaling with focus engages the centre and brings intention to every Pilates movement.

Breath in Pilates is much more than inhale and exhale. When taught well, it becomes a technique in its own right. This week, we’re exploring three distinct breath strategies that teachers may use thoughtfully in their sessions: audible breath, supportive breath, and challenge breath.

The Story in Sound

The story I was told , and I love this because it captures both the practicality and personality of the man is that allegedly Ron Fletcher, one of the Pilates elders who worked closely with Clara Pilates, began to lose his hearing later in life.

During one of his classes, he reportedly said to his students, “I can’t hear you breathing. Louder, louder.” And they did. They breathed louder so he could hear them. And from that moment, this powerful, audible breath was born.

It became a deep, expressive sound that you could hear across the room. Some called it the "pleasure breath" because of the quality of the sound, physical, emotional, even theatrical. But it wasn’t meant to be a performance. It was a way to connect. To connect with the centre. To connect with the rhythm of the movement. And very practically, to connect with the teacher himself.

This audible breath can be a powerful cue to engage the deep abdominals. For some clients, it’s the key to finding their centre when subtle cues aren’t enough. But, as with all tools, it should be used with intention, not simply as style.

Supportive Pilates Breath: A Modern Strategy

The now-common cue of “exhale on the effort” isn’t part of Joseph Pilates’ original method. It’s a modern development, often called supportive breath, and has proven to be an incredibly effective teaching tool.

Exhaling on effort helps stabilise the spine and deepen centre engagement. It’s especially useful when teaching beginners or working with clients who need to feel more supported through challenging movements. Whether it’s a roll-up, spinal flexion, or load-bearing action, the exhale offers structure, timing, and confidence.

Supportive breath helps the nervous system stay regulated and often reduces tension in the upper body. It’s a brilliant entry point for learning the method.

Challenge Pilates Breath: For the More Experienced Client

Once a client has mastered foundational control, the breath can be used to add complexity. Challenge breath reverses the typical supportive pattern: inhaling during the effort, and exhaling during the return.

This demands more from the core and reveals any instability or compensation. It’s not for beginners. It requires trust, awareness, and confidence in the body. It challenges the breath-body relationship and forces a deeper internal connection.

Used selectively, challenge breath can be a valuable tool for layering progression and testing control under load.

Breathing With Intention

What matters most is not which breath you choose, but why you choose it. Loud breath, supportive breath, challenge breath, each has a place when used consciously and with purpose.

Next time you’re teaching, ask yourself not only are they breathing but how are they breathing? Is the breath serving the movement? Is it supporting the method?

That’s where the teaching lives.