Blowing Up Balloons: A Surprisingly Effective Way to Strengthen Your Core and Improve Breathing

You’ve probably blown up a balloon before, right? If you’ve ever had to create a balloon arch or balloon arrangement, you’re probably having some PTSD just thinking about it! But here's a fun twist: blowing up balloons can actually be a great way to improve your core strength, retrain your breathing patterns, enhance airflow efficiency (hello, more oxygen!), and reduce muscle tension that may be contributing to pain or dysfunction.

(Need a quick refresher on how the core and diaphragmatic breathing work—or why they’re crucial for pelvic floor health? Check out this blog post here!

When we blow up balloons with proper airflow technique, we improve our ability to take in oxygen and expel carbon dioxide more effectively. And when we’re more oxygenated, we tend to feel and function better. This also leads to greater efficiency in how we use our breathing and core muscles. Plus, it helps direct air to the areas of our body where it’s needed most.

Let’s face it—most of us don’t breathe efficiently all day, every day. This can cause tension, tightness, or restrictions throughout the body. But when we focus on proper breathing techniques—like when we blow up a balloon—we help air flow to the right places, which can relieve some of these issues.

So, the next time you find yourself struggling to blow up a balloon, remember: it’s not just about inflating that colorful piece of latex—it’s a chance to give your body a little tune-up! And if you don’t have a balloon, I have even seen some folks use a straw to practice better airflow. 

Always check with your trusted healthcare provider to make sure that this is safe for you to perform with your specific health concerns; can be potentially problematic for folks with any lung insufficiencies, asthma, or breathing problems. 

How to blow up a balloon efficiently (check out this video for more!)

• Place your tongue on the roof of your mouth as you inhale through you nose 
• Push tongue down right before you start to exhale into the balloon
• Exhale out of your mouth WITHOUT puffing your cheeks up 

*If you are struggling and need some extra help, do a side crunch on the left side to activate your abs (take your left shoulder and side bend to get it closer to your left hip)

Disclaimer: This technique was taught during continuing education courses from the Postural Restoration Institute (PRI).