{"id":309973,"date":"2025-11-27T09:39:06","date_gmt":"2025-11-27T09:39:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/309973\/"},"modified":"2025-11-27T09:39:06","modified_gmt":"2025-11-27T09:39:06","slug":"what-is-rib-flare-it-could-be-impacting-your-workouts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/309973\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is “Rib Flare”? It Could Be Impacting Your Workouts"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019ve ventured onto GymTok<\/a>, you\u2019re probably familiar with the term \u201crib flare.\u201d If you haven\u2019t heard of it, a quick search<\/a> on the app reveals its meaning. Essentially, it refers to when your bottom ribs protrude out, adding an extra bump to your body\u2019s side profile. But learning about this viral phrase from the fitness side of the app might lead to a few more questions, like \u201cIs it bad?\u201d \u201cIs it dangerous?\u201d and \u201cCan it be fixed?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean you can correct your rib flares?\u201d asked TikTok user Nemesis Irizarry<\/a>. \u201cThis is just what they always look like, and now I\u2019m seeing videos of girls saying that you can correct that sh*t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t understand either, my rib is a bone. Like, how am I meant to fix that?\u201d one user commented.<\/p>\n

Rib flare shouldn\u2019t be another insecurity to add to a growing list of totally normal features TikTok deems \u201cbad.\u201d All bodies are built differently, and for some people, their ribs are just naturally more prominent. But, in some cases, rib flare can be the reason your workout<\/a> is less effective than it could be. Thankfully, there are a few things you can do to get your gains back on track.<\/p>\n

What Is Rib Flare?<\/p>\n

According to Michelle Ditto, CPT<\/a>, the vice president of training and technique at Pure Barre, rib flare occurs when the bottom five sets of ribs \u2014 the ones that aren\u2019t attached to your sternum \u2014 stick out a little more, leading to open chest, elevated shoulders, and arch in the upper mid back. This can totally be your natural anatomy, but it can also be indicative of poor postural alignment.<\/p>\n

How can you tell which category you fall into? \u201cIf it is your bone structure, you’ll still be able to experience the correct engagement of both your core musculature and your diaphragm,\u201d Ditto says. If you can take full, deep breaths while exercising, you\u2019re in the clear.<\/p>\n

Flared ribs, if they\u2019re not your body\u2019s natural shape, can be due to poor breathing techniques while exercising and can also cause more troubled breathing during workouts. Poor posture, incorrect form, or a habit of sucking in your stomach, all of which lead to postural imbalances and less core engagement, can also be potential causes.<\/p>\n

If you have true rib flare, there will be signs. \u201cYou’ll see a decrease in your ability to engage your core, to lift as heavy as you want, to effectively endurance train as long as you want,\u201d Ditto explains. \u201cSo [rib flare] can just diminish your natural capacity to do the type of fitness that you’re interested in doing.\u201d Essentially, it can make your gym session less productive.<\/p>\n

How To Fix Rib Flare<\/p>\n

If your rib flare is a result of your bone structure, it can\u2019t be changed. But, if you\u2019re experiencing adverse effects, like lower back pain, tightness through the upper back and shoulders, or less mobility through the spine, working on your posture and breathing techniques while exercising can help your workouts go further and feel better.<\/p>\n

Proper breath technique starts with taking full, deep breaths \u2014 something you might not even realize you\u2019re not doing. \u201cIf you hold your rib cage, you think about your bottom ribs like a bucket handle. The bucket handle should move not only out, but up when you breathe in,\u201d Ditto says. \u201cSo think of expanding wide and broad versus forward and backward.\u201d<\/p>\n

While performing an exercise, it\u2019s also important to exhale on the \u201ceffortful motion,\u201d she explains. So, when doing a sit-up, exhale as you curl up, and inhale as you roll back down.<\/p>\n

When it comes to form, things get a little more complicated. Correct form can vary from one exercise to another, but the act of engaging your core stays mostly the same, whether you\u2019re at the squat rack or the yoga mat. Ditto\u2019s hack for engaging the entire core (which includes your transverse abdominis and back muscles, too) is to \u201chug your baby.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s that idea of being held from the outside in,\u201d she says. \u201cI think that’s really applicable even if you haven’t been pregnant. Think about holding a baby inside, hugging it tight. It’s that type of engagement of the core muscles that we’re after.\u201d<\/p>\n

Exercise can be anxiety-inducing<\/a> for some, and concerns that you\u2019re doing it wrong and harming yourself can add another layer of stress. But Ditto maintains that exercising \u201ccorrectly\u201d is not the be-all, end-all. She suggests focusing on your posture and breathing during just one exercise in your routine, and slowly adding that strength and control to your tool belt.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you are somebody who’s experiencing rib flare right now. It doesn’t mean that you’re destined for failure,\u201d Ditto says. \u201cIt means that there might be a better way to do what it is you’re trying to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Source:<\/p>\n

Michelle Ditto, CPT<\/a>, VP of Training & Technique at Pure Barre<\/p>\n

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