Exercises for Holding Your Breath Under Water

Whether somebody is in a contest, performing lifeguard duties or just showing off for their friends, holding your breath under water for extended periods of time can be a nice skill to have. No doubt this skill would be appreciated should an unexpected water incident occur. Such a skill is not limited to special individuals, but can be acquired by anyone willing to give it a go.

  1. The Basics

    • The two basic ways to increase your ability to hold your breath under water are: 1) Increasing your lung capacity, or how much air your lungs can hold; 2) Increase your lung efficiency, or how well your lungs use the air they have. However, both ways require self-discipline and sticking to it, and cannot be achieved from only a few days of effort.

    Lung Capacity

    • The idea behind increasing lung capacity is that you are stretching your lungs, allowing them to hold more air initially before the dive. Exercises will increase lung capacity. One exercise is to take as big a breath as you can, and then try to sip up more and more air, until you cannot hold your breath any longer, and let it out. Do this about three times in a row, and do it morning and night. Another way to help increase lung capacity is to play a musical instrument that you have to blow into, such as a trumpet.

    Lung Efficiency

    • You need to inhale and exhale because your body needs to intake oxygen, and remove its carbon dioxide. The harder your body has to work at any given time, the more oxygen it needs, and the more carbon dioxide it gives off. With every beat of the heart, more oxygen is put into your bloodstream, and carbon dioxide is taken out. People who keep their heart in good shape through frequent and good cardiovascular exercise will have fewer heartbeats per minute. That person's body is not working as hard to move oxygen through the bloodstream, and therefore, expends less oxygen in the process.

    Other Factors and Tips

    • Be sure somebody is nearby, as holding your breath could cause you to pass out. A large part of being able to hold your breath depends on what you are doing at the time, or just before. Somebody who is simply holding still under water will be able to hold his breath for much longer than someone who is swimming and diving ever deeper. Also to note, taking a running dive or swimming laps before staying still and holding out will increase your rate of oxygen use, since that brief dash will increase your heart rate, and your use of oxygen with it. Activity during and before holding your breath will make it more difficult to not breathe. Wait for your heart rate to drop before diving. The depth also plays a role in how long you can last, as the deeper you are, the more pressure there is on your lungs, making you feel like you run out of air quicker. Before holding your breath, inhale and exhale deeply and fully, but DON'T HYPERVENTILATE. Do this to make sure your body gets a good supply of oxygen already moving through the bloodstream to allow it to last a bit longer before it has to take oxygen from the supply in your lungs.