Freediving Training Tips to Increase Lung Capacity and Strength

Freediving is a sport like no other; the demands on the body and mind are completely different from those associated with other sports. Also known as apnea diving, freediving is accomplished by the application of two special skills: diving and breath-holding. Carbon dioxide tolerance, oxygen efficiency, and lactic acid tolerance must be built up, and additional skills must be cultivated. Here are some training tips to help you get started. 

Breath-Holding Above Water to Improve Ventilation - Freediving Training Tips

Before beginning breath-holding exercises, it is important that you understand that holding your breath above water does not harm the body. Because breathing (ventilation) is controlled by the body’s autonomic nervous system, breathing will resume automatically if you lose consciousness. Holding your breath above water – and below – improves ventilation and increases the amount of time the body is capable of sustaining itself on just one breath of air. It also helps you psychologically; with practice, you will recognize your physical capacity for breath-holding. 

• Increase lung capacity and strength – Take a deep, slow breath while opening the shoulders and continue to attempt to inhale while flexing your diaphragm. Hold your breath for four seconds, then exhale completely, breathing out slowly. Repeat this exercise in sets of eight. Do not hyperventilate. 

• Increase lung capacity – Use the process described above to completely inflate the lungs. Next, collect additional air in your mouth, then use a swallowing motion to add the air in your mouth to your lungs. “Pack” an additional four mouthfuls of air into your lungs, then exhale slowly and repeat. As training progresses, you will find that you can pack more and more air into your lungs. Note that some physiologists believe that packing can have an adverse effect on lung elasticity, increasing the risk of a collapsed lung at depths greater than 25 meters. 

• Improve your ability to exhale completely – After inhaling, exhale completely, to the point where you feel mild discomfort. Compress your upper abdominal muscles and collapse your shoulders in toward your solar plexus as you continue exhaling. When you are no longer to expel air from your lungs, hold your position for four seconds, then inhale. 

Improve Your Anaerobic Exercise Capacity - Freediving Training Tips

When the muscles are active in the absence of breath, both lactic acid and carbon dioxide accumulate rapidly within the bloodstream. As the body converts the oxygen in the lungs into energy, carbon dioxide is released; this increases the urge to breathe. At the same time, glucose stored in your body’s muscle cells is converted to energy and lactic acid is released, causing an aching, stiff sensation inside the muscles. The feeling of discomfort increases until you begin breathing regularly once more. 

Improving your body’s ability to function in the absence of breath takes practice. By combining simple callisthenic exercises with breath holding, you can increase your ability to tolerate carbon dioxide and lactic acid. Try walking, jogging, and swimming while holding your breath, remembering to limit rather than completely stop your breathing. While jogging, for example, try taking a breath every four steps; while swimming, breath with every five strokes. The goal is to increase your carbon dioxide and lactic acid levels to the point where they are barely tolerable, then to reduce them by breathing, then to increase them again. This type of exercise is incredibly uncomfortable, but it will make you a more effective freediver. 

While training for freediving, use caution when doing any type of exercise that changes the height of your head. Changes in elevation can affect your blood pressure, and when combined with breath holding, blackout can be the result. If you blackout while exercising, you could fall and injure yourself. 

Push yourself while training, but use moderation. Change is a process. Just as with other types of training, it is important not to push too hard or overdo it. Developing the ability to function without breath is a real challenge, and one you can overcome with time and practice.