Pilates exercises are for strengthening your core, elongating your spine toward the crown of your head and opening your chest ..... giving yourself a proud posture. By opening your chest you will be able to breathe fully. Exhaling is more important then inhaling. When you exhale you clean your lungs and facilitate the flexion of your spine. Pilates gives you wonderful workouts mostly because the breathing is part of many exercise techniques. You leave the class feeling light, oxygenated and powerful.