We’ve all been there: standing in the kitchen, wrestling with a jar lid that refuses to budge. Professor Hannah Fry, Ph.D., is a British mathematician, author, and broadcaster renowned for applying mathematical concepts to human behavior and social systems. She has a simple, science-backed trick that can make this everyday frustration much easier, and it all starts with your breathing. She shared this interesting but effective method in an Instagram reel on her official account (@hannahfry).
Your arms are remarkable, but they have a limitation: they’re flexible. When you try to generate maximum twisting force (torque) to open a jar, a lot of your effort goes into stabilizing your arm and torso rather than actually turning the lid. Fry calls this the “floppy noodle problem” our muscles are working hard just to keep the arm steady.
The first key is stability. Take a deep breath and hold it, filling your lungs with air. This increases pressure in your torso, essentially turning it into a stiff cylinder, a stable platform from which your arm can twist. Weightlifters instinctively do this during heavy lifts, and it works just as well for opening jars.
You can take it a step further. When you twist a jar lid, your shoulder and spine need to counter the motion. The muscles responsible for this is your internal obliques and transverse abdominis, these are exactly the ones engaged when you do a strong, forced exhale. By exhaling forcefully as you twist, you activate these muscles and lock in your base, channeling all your energy into the jar instead of fighting instability.
Hannah explains that The combination of increased internal pressure and engaged core muscles creates a stable, powerful platform. Essentially, your body is primed to transfer maximum force to the jar lid.
Next time a jar won’t budge, try this: take a deep breath, position your grip, and forcefully exhale as you twist. With your core engaged and your torso locked in, that stubborn lid doesn’t stand a chance.
Who knew that the secret to opening jars was less about brute strength and more about breathing like a weightlifter.