Hypopressives was originally developed in Europe during the 1980's by Dr. Marcel Caufriez in an attempt to help postpartum women rehabilitate the pelvic floor to prevent &/or avoid dysfunctions such as prolapse or incontinence.   In 2006 doctors Tamara Rial and Piti Pinsach joined Dr. Caufriez in his research.  In 2014, they took Hypopressives to another level and created Low Pressure Fitness, a full body work out regimen incorporating the technicalities and fundamentals of Dr. Caufriez' research and morphed it into something that the general public can utilize to help treat and prevent core and pelvic issues helping to potentially alleviate the need for some medications or surgery.

Although used widely throughout Spain and most Latin American countires, Hypopressivs was not introduced to the UK until 2012, Canada in 2013 and the US in 2015! The language barrier probably had a huge contributing factor to the delay of Hypopressives reaching North America.  Still to date, the majority of research and information that you can find on this great technique will be in Spanish.  However, with Low Pressure Fitness expanding to English speaking countries in the last few years, information is becoming more accessible. Internationally, Low Pressure Fitness is starting to be considered a part of fundamental training to help minize the impact of other popular physical sports (i.e. biking, running, weight lifting etc.)  In fact, in Feburary of 2016, Gemelli Hopsital in Italy, aka the Vatican Hospital, has decided to train all of their physical therapists to use Low Pressure Fitness with their patients!

Hypopressives literally means Low Pressure.  The majority of traditional exercises - including core exercises (crunches, planks etc.) are HYPER-pressive, which means that it actually increases internal pressure. HYPOpressives are geared towards decreasing internal pressure within the thoracic, abdominal and pelvic cavities.  Pressure always has a way of finding the weakest point to try to 'escape', which can lead to health issues.  We all experience increased pressure from simple daily activities; working out, chasing kids, perhaps your job and even gravity!  How your body is prepared and structured to handle the pressure determines your outcome.  Many medical conditions such as prolapse, urinary incontinence, hernias and back pain are a direct result of a week core and pelvic floor.

Hypopressive, Low Pressure Fitness training works to balance the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) and Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) and reprogram your core and pelvic floor muscles to work at a subconscious level to support you throughout your daily life. This technical system of postures and breathing is more complex than it sounds.  That is why you cannot learn from watching videos or reading blogs.  It is important to be trained by someone who is a certified instructor.  As of right now, Core Essence is the only studio offering Hypopressive training in this region.

Hypopressive, Low Pressure Fitness is a whole body workout.  It is specifically designed to integrate the different muscle chains in the body. Forget working one section at a time!  This revolutionary approach is designed as a total body, pressureless workout! The best part?  Once trained by a professional, it only takes around 20 min and requires NO equipment!  Basic training typically consists of private sessions, meeting once or twice a week.  This is a very intricate postural workout, so it requires a lot of technical training while you are learning.

Please note that there is not a single program in the world that is a one size fits all in regards to fixing every problem that you might have.  It is true that the list of potential benefits this program can provide is HUGE and it is a great tool to incorporate to your health regimen, but to truly have great overall health - you need to look at the whole picture including diet and lifestyle in addition to exercise.