3 Ways To Hold Your Breath For Long Periods Of Time

Deep breathing allows your body to take in excess oxygen, which it can then store in the blood cells. This helps when holding your breath as your body can use the stored oxygen to continue functioning, even when you are not breathing.

Exhale forcefully, pushing as much air out of your lungs as possible. Puff out your cheeks as you do this, and imagine you are trying to blow a toy sailboat across a stretch of water. [3] X Research source Once you have exhaled completely, inhale quickly and repeat. Try to keep your body as still as possible while you do this, to avoid expending any of the stored oxygen from the previous step.

When you inhale, don’t breathe in so much that you’re about to pop; this creates tension in your body and causes you to expend more energy. Instead, fill your lung capacity to about 80-85% capacity so that you still have room to relax. Once the 90 seconds is up, exhale briefly to rid your lungs of the used air, then take three breaths, inhaling and exhaling fully. This is known as semi-purging.

Once this is done, take a breath and hold it for two minutes and thirty seconds, timing it on a stopwatch. Do not attempt to hold your breath for any longer than this. Once the time is up, exhale to release the used air and take three semi-purge breaths. Follow this with two minutes of deep breathing and a minute and a half of purging. You are now ready to try holding your breath for as long as possible.

You don’t need to actually put your entire head underwater, though. Just splash some cold water on your face right before you hold your breath, or try using a cold, wet washcloth. Don’t use an ice pack instead of water, though; the same study suggests that the shock of something too cold triggers other reflexes. Just make sure the water is at a temperature of approximately 70 °F (21 °C) and that the rest of your body is in a relaxed position.

Holding your breath for long periods of time can be painful, and it usually necessary to find a way to distract yourself if you are to successfully achieve your goal. One popular distraction technique is to move through the alphabet from A to Z, thinking of a friend, celebrity or historical figure whose name begins with each letter. Aleix Segura Vendrell, who set a world record for holding his breath underwater for 24 minutes and 3 seconds, is a proponent of this very technique. [6] X Research source Don’t hold air in your cheeks. This method is meant for an air reserve, which requires “letting go” of the air in your lungs and switching it with the air in your cheeks. This is known as “circular breathing” and can be very difficult to achieve, usually resulting in the breath-holder losing both air reserves. Therefore, it may be best to avoid this method for the time being.

Concentrate on something that’s relaxing to you. When you can’t concentrate anymore, distract yourself by doing something with your hands, like counting to 99 with your fingers. Try not to move during any point when holding your breath. When you move, you waste oxygen and that will cut down the time you’re able to go without breathing. Stay still.

Even practicing with a partner can be dangerous, as an untrained eye may be unable to tell the difference between someone who is holding their breath and someone who has passed out.

Do plenty of cardio. Incorporating some intense cardio workouts into your weekly routine can do wonders for your lungs. Running, skipping, aerobics and swimming are all great forms of cardiovascular exercise which get the blood pumping and the lungs working hard to supply the body with the oxygen it needs to keep going. Try doing exercising in intense 30 minute bursts, pushing your body to its limits, to achieve the best result. Exercise in water. Exercising in water (swimming, water aerobics, underwater weight training) is also a form of cardio exercise, but the water provides an element of resistance which requires the body to work harder to complete each task. As a result, the lungs need to work harder to supply the body with oxygen, causing their air capacity to increase significantly over time. Work-out at high elevation. At higher elevations, there is less oxygen in the air, meaning your lungs have to work harder to supply the body with oxygen. This is an excellent way to strengthen the lungs, but you must be careful not to train to hard, or you could potentially fall victim to altitude sickness.

It is important to quit inhaling any substances, not only give up regular tobacco cigarettes. Vape pens or electronic cigarettes are also harmful to your lungs. You should also try to avoid second-hand smoke as far as possible, as inhaling someone else’s cigarette smoke can have a negative effect on your lungs.

The flute, clarinet, oboe and saxophone are all good options when it comes to wind instruments, while the trumpet, trombone and tuba are popular brass options.