One of the most important aspects of freediving is increasing lung capacity. The more air your lungs can hold, the longer you can stay underwater and the more relaxed you’ll feel while diving. At Apnea Total, based in Koh Tao, Thailand, we focus on helping our students improve their lung capacity through specialized exercises that you can also practice at home. This guide will introduce you to a set of techniques designed to enhance your lung function and deepen your breath-hold abilities.
Let’s explore some simple yet effective exercises to boost your lung capacity, so you can dive deeper and stay longer.
1. Full Inhalation Breaths (Lung Expansion)
This exercise helps you fill your lungs to their maximum capacity, training your body to take in more air with each breath.
- How to do it:
- Stand or sit up straight, with your hands on your lower ribs.
- Take a deep breath in through your mouth, filling your lungs as much as possible. Imagine your chest expanding upward and outward as you breathe in.
- Once your lungs feel full, take 2 small sips of air to stretch them further. Hold this maximum inhalation for 5-10 seconds.
- Slowly exhale through your mouth, releasing all the air and relaxing your body.
- Repeat this process for 5-10 breaths.
- Tip: Practice this exercise daily to gradually increase your lung expansion. Over time, your lungs will adapt to holding more air.
2. Breath Holds with Empty Lungs (Exhale Holds)
Breath-holding exercises with empty lungs teach your body to operate more efficiently with reduced oxygen. This is a core technique in freediving and will help improve your body’s tolerance to CO2, enhancing lung capacity.
- How to do it:
- Sit in a comfortable position and exhale all the air from your lungs through your mouth.
- Once you’ve exhaled completely, hold your breath and time how long you can comfortably go without breathing in.
- When you feel the urge to breathe, slowly inhale through your mouth and relax.
- Repeat 5-8 times, aiming to increase the duration of each exhale hold.
- Tip: Start with short holds and increase the time as your tolerance improves. Always practice this exercise in a safe environment and avoid pushing yourself too far.
3. Breath Stacking (Sequential Inhalation)
Breath stacking allows you to expand the amount of air your lungs can hold by taking multiple, small inhalations. This technique is great for pushing the boundaries of your lung capacity.
- How to do it:
- Sit or stand comfortably. Begin by inhaling deeply through your mouth, but stop about halfway.
- Without exhaling, take another small breath, stacking it on top of the first one.
- Continue this process, taking 2 more small breaths until your lungs are completely full.
- Hold the breath for 5-10 seconds, then exhale slowly and fully through your mouth.
- Repeat for 5-10 breaths, increasing the time you hold the stacked breath as you improve.
- Tip: This exercise is a great way to stretch your lungs and get them used to holding more air.
4. The “1 to 10” Breath Ladder
This exercise progressively increases the duration of your breaths, helping to improve lung capacity and breath control over time.
- How to do it:
- Inhale through your mouth for 1 second, then exhale through your mouth for 1 second.
- Inhale for 2 seconds, then exhale for 2 seconds.
- Continue increasing the inhale/exhale time by 1 second for each cycle, working your way up to 10 seconds in and 10 seconds out.
- If you feel comfortable, challenge yourself by trying to go beyond 10 seconds.
- Tip: Practicing this ladder regularly will help build both lung capacity and stamina, essential for longer dives.
Practice at Apnea Total in Koh Tao
At Apnea Total, we guide our students through these exercises as part of our training programs in Koh Tao. The tropical setting of Thailand’s island paradise is ideal for freedivers looking to improve their lung capacity, whether in the pool or the open sea. Our experienced instructors will help you refine these techniques, ensuring you see real progress in your breath-holding abilities and overall lung function.
To learn more about how to increase your lung capacity and advance your freediving skills, join us at Apnea Total for one of our in-depth courses. You’ll practice these exercises under expert supervision, ensuring you maximize your potential while enjoying the beautiful waters of Koh Tao.
