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by The punisher on June 11th, 2005

The punisher

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How can you increase your lung capacity?

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Answers. 12 helpful answers below.

  • by scymitar72 on June 12th, 2005

    scymitar72

    There must be more than a few ways to achieve greater lung capacity, the way with which I am most familiar is swimming/exercising in water.

    Just like with many activities, if you practice enough, your body with start to make changes to be more efficient. You'll note that well experienced skin divers have acheived great lung capacity after years of training.

    Here is a link to an exercise program that suggests exercising while submersed in water up to your neck will increase lung capacity:

    http://www.aquajogger.com/aqua_lung.htm

    "Part of the effect is due to blood shifting into the chest cavity , and part is due to compression of the chest wall. The combined effect alters pulmonary function, increases the work of breathing and changes respiratory dynamics. In fact, expiratory reserve volumes decrease by 75 percent at neck immersion, with vital capacity decreasing only slightly. "The combined effects of these changes increase the total work of breathing by 60 percent. Thus for someone used to land-based exercise, water-based exercise is a significant workload challenge to the respiratory apparatus. If water training time is sufficient, this challenge can improve the respiratory system's efficiency""

    Hope this helps...

    Don't worry - pools are relatively safe, they use chemicals, like chlorine, to disinfect (that means you don't have to worry about the sweat of others who have used the pool :-).

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  • by Jtigger on October 13th, 2007

    Jtigger

    Many years ago I read details of an excellent exercise to increase your lung capacity,try this ,
    Sit relaxed in chair.
    Breathe in to the count of four,
    Hold that breath to the count of four,
    Breathe out to the count of four,
    Don't breathe to the count of four.

    Then repeat the above cycle five times ,
    three times a day until it becomes easy.

    Then do the above cycle plus a set going to the count
    of five for each section.
    As your lungs develop you should gradually increase the
    numbers, remember do not strain but practice makes
    perfect.

    Good" lung capacity is a general term used to describe an individual's breathing in relation to many factors specific to that person, such as weight, sex, age, and activity.
    The average total lung capacity is approximately 5.8 liters (5800 cm3), however it varies from person to person, and is dependent on the factors discussed above

    http://ezinearticles.com/?Your-3-Best-Options-for-Increased-Lung-Capacity&id=215400

    http://www.wikihow.com/Increase-Your-Lung-Capacity

    http://www.cptips.com/respmus.htm

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  • by Jack Scotty on June 16th, 2005

    Jack Scotty

    One method that former smokers use is to exhale through your mouth while keeping your lips tight enough to maintain a steady stream of resistance as the air goes out. What this does is gradually increase the size of the air sacks in your lungs allowing you to inhale more with every breath.

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  • by ellaand me on January 13th, 2009

    ellaand me

    With Exercises, Breathing practices and yoga mediatation and balance move

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  • by Vyntrdaemon on November 4th, 2009

    Vyntrdaemon

    Don't forget about your posture! Poor posture will not physically change the size of your lungs of course but it will restrict the degree to which they can expand! Sit up striaghter and then concentrate on breathing with your diaphram (think of it as like breathing with your tummy) and you have already started the improvement!!

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  • by supersizeme on December 31st, 2007

    supersizeme

    Quit smoking if you are a smoker. Use a HEPA filtration system to clean the air that you breathe. Do 30 minutes or more of aerobic exercise everyday. Yoga and Chi Kung breathing techniques will increase your lung volume.

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  • by bubble on December 30th, 2007

    bubble

    Because I have ME I cannot do aerobic exercises, but feel sure that increasing lung capacity helps. Lying on my back in bed in the mornings, I take a deep breath and let it out as slowly as possibly (for a count of 30/40); I do this six times, then try to remember to do it again at night - can help with going to sleep!

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  • by Anon on June 14th, 2005

    Anon

    Here's a trick I was taught when I was taking college band classes.

    Take a piece of pipe with a diameter small enough to put into your mouth without hurting your jaw, but large enough that it keeps your mouth fairly open (like a comfortable yawn). Cut the pipe to about 2 inches in length. Now carry it with you and breath through it throughout the day. You can even punch a hole in it and make a neck strap if you want.

    Start slow, maybe a few breaths now and then. When you breath through it you will feel a bit lightheaded. Don't overdo it - you shouldn't pass out, but if you do it regularly you will notice that you can use it longer and take bigger breaths.

    Also, I have found that yoga with a focus on breathing does help me take deeper breaths and breath more steadily.

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  • by thelintlady thelintlady on July 2nd, 2005

    thelintlady thelintlady

    I am a teacher. One thing I do with my younger children while lined up in the hall is to time them holding their breath. A physical therapist also told me a while back that holding your breath (not until you turn red!) makes the brain use up its oxygen for that short time, and that when you inhale deeply after that, the fresh oxygen stimulates the brain. The theory is that after doing this, you think more efficiently. I guess that's why, when faced with a hard decision, many of us will take a good, long breath. The key is to progress slowly and exercise regularly.
    Introduced as a science experiment on building lung capacity at the beginning of the year, we start at about 15 seconds, and continue to add a second or two each week. By the end of the year, some of them can hold their breath a lot longer than at the beginning of the year. Others don't and that's okay, too. We don't compete, but we do note our progress. I have them take a deep breath and let it out first, and then we time ourselves. Then they exhale slowly and we take another deep breath. If they cannot hold out, they are told to let it go. At the end of the time, the rest are told to exhale slowly, and we all take our deep breath together. Of course, some of them just puff their cheeks, and that's cheating! LOL (Of course, no one has ever passed out, but they do think it is fun. When I forget, they remind me, and we never push harder than a couple of seconds at a time. I have the quietest line in the school!)
    Some of my children are swimmers, and I am also told by the P.E. instructors that it has helped the children endure longer since I have done this. I also read a journal entry a few years back that said that most people take very shallow breaths, and that we would all reduce our respiratory illnesses dramatically if we just breathed properly, from the diaphram, not from the throat. I don't know if professional singers exercise holding their breath, but some of them can sure hold a note!

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  • by draftcopy on July 16th, 2007

    draftcopy

    well. i really want to increase my lung capacity and i have developed a 'workout'I can't say for sure if i will work, but i have heard many many times that the body adapts.. I have been swimming a long time and im a lifeguard.. just to let you know. My workout is hold your breath for 1 min. 15 sec break of normal breathing. and then 1 min breath hold. i do it 30 times.

    I would like to hear more about that band pipe thing i don't really understand it.

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  • by TheMan--- on October 13th, 2007

    TheMan---

    Swim, jog and exercise often.

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  • by david askari on June 15th, 2005

    david askari

    I assume that lung efficiency is the question which the previous answer is it. But to increase the amount of air that can be sucked into the lungs, you would need to smoke for long enough to destroy the inside till it almost a empty lung. I have seen some smokers stay under water a long time but peter out in endurance type stuff. But a good lung is like a good sponge that can hold air long enough to absorb the stuff. Growing up at very high altitudes can do so also.
    But seriously, the whole respiratory system must be healthy enough to use the increased lung efficiency.

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