Breath holding tricks

[Cornelia]

Hey

I don't know if my breath is normal or short... but the girls in the clips on youtube a very long under water without going to the surface to breath...

Whats your time? Whats normal?

Do you have any tricks to train the breath holding?

[Mermaid Saphira]

It takes time and practice to learn how to hold your breath for that long. I have been practicing since last summer and I have currently reached 55+ seconds. It takes time, but you will get there! :)

[Mermaid Sirena]

Number one advice, avoid second hand smoke it will destroy your lungs and any breath hold you had will be out the window. This comes from experience.

[Gem Stone]

I think my top ever was 1:30. My normal is about one minute though. Do NOT push yourself to much unless you are above water. To much danger of passing out and drowning. But yes, it takes daily practice. Singing will also help.

[Mermaid Saphira]

^ Singing? Really? interesting :)

[Lotus]

here's my advice: swim laps underwater as far as you can before you surface, and get comfortable with that "oh shit, I gotta breathe!!!" feeling. For me, conquering the fear associated with that feeling was the ticket, and now I can stay down a lot longer- like a minute and a half plus. I say do this just going back and forth because you don;t want to push too fast and gray or black out, obviously. :)
Also, keep in mind that in a lot of vids you see, the magic of editing makes it appear the mer is under longer. Remember that you cannot always trust what you see, and try not to push yourself to the point of injury. Give yourself time and training, and it'll get easier.

[taom]

Singing helps because it teaches your body how to take in the maximum amount of air and how to use it efficiently. It's not just like going around and singing tunes, its learning the type of breathing techniques on uses with broadway and classical genres. (I'm a professionally trained classical singer so that's why I know all that XDD)

[Cornelia]

Ha, great... I was a singer in a band for some years... and stopped smoking 2 years ago... theres just my little problem with the asthma... but I can hold the breath about a minute... but it sounds that thats normal... so its ok for me ^^

I only know one trick... breath in... breath out... and then 2 short breaths in... it lasts for longer... buts some time out that i practiced this... so I don't know if it works now too...

[happyguava]

Yeah, I'm a voice teacher and I definitely advocate singing lessons to improve your breathing!! It's about training not just your lungs but your whole body to allow you to breathe as effectively as you can.

[Cornelia]

for singing its good to train the abdominals... do you think this helps with breath holding too?

[SweeteSiren]

Singing expands the rib cage & chest cavity to let you fully fill your lungs. Yoga also helps, and cardio will supposedly make your lungs more efficient. I don't know that for a fact though, my cardio sucks...

[midwesternmermaid]

Or if you play a breath-controlled musical instrument (i.e. trumpet or clarinet). My husband and I have both played in band and he attributes that to his ability to hold over a gallon of air. Average is about a gallon, according to his small-scale science experiment in class. Like singing, you learn to take in the max with one breath and control the expulsion. If you're still in school, check out band. If not, your community might have a community band. Getting an instrument would be an investment, of course. But there's nothing like playing "Part of Your World" on a clarinet. A very cheap alternative is playing a recorder. Soprano is pretty standard, but if you get the deeper ones, which are bigger, they will require more breath and pressure for the same effect. It's the difference between soprano, standard, alto all the way to contrabass clarinet. Air has to pass through the entire length of the instrument, which is a LONG ways the deeper you go. If you get a recorder, be sure to get a quality one, not some cheap little plastic thing in the kids' section at the store (although you can be surprised).
Hope that helps.

[Kitty-Madison Snel]

What is normal? Any tricks to stay longer underwater? A normal human being can hold his breath for 40 - 50 seconds. As a freediver my best 'static' is 6:00, or swim underwater for 2:30.

Tips and tricks:
Practice yoga, meditation and running (or cycling, swimming). And a lot of patience... There are typical freedive tables for static like below:

2:00 apnea, 3:00 recovery
2:00 apnea, 2:50 recovery
2:00 apnea, 2:40 recovery
2:00 apnea, 2:30 recovery
2:00 apnea, 2:20 recovery
2:00 apnea, 2:10 recovery
2:00 apnea, 2:00 recovery
2:00 apnea

As you see, it is not important to hold your breath as long as possible. If 2:00 minutes is too much in ghe beginning, try 1:00 minute apnea. Only use this table a few times a week. Remember: never try this alone.

[Mermaid Marissa]

Singing helps because it teaches your body how to take in the maximum amount of air and how to use it efficiently. It's not just like going around and singing tunes, its learning the type of breathing techniques on uses with broadway and classical genres. (I'm a professionally trained classical singer so that's why I know all that XDD)

I can testify to that :D being a singer I have trained myself to hold 24 count notes. It also helps you to regulate your breathing.

[Mermaid Jewel]

BREATHE WITH YOUR DIAPHRAGM. That's probably the main thing...most people breathe shallow breaths in their chests (ESPECIALLY ballet dancers tehee :D). When you breathe with you diaphragm, you fill your lungs to full capacity. I was trained as a singer before I devoted completely to dance, and I can say that my lung capacity and breath hold significantly decreased when I did quit.

I suggest meditating too...it relaxes you and lets you take deep deep breaths. It gets you used to taking those deep breaths. Just don't fall asleep!

[MermaidSarah]

This is very very helpful.My breath hold is 10 seconds.Hopefully I can get a stopwatch and start practicing.I mean I walk around my neighborhood and walk from town to town occasionally for exercise and I do sing but I think that the VO2 Max cross country workout will help.Hopefully I'll find more methods to help with breath holding that I can incorporate into my daily life before I can get the money to buy me a fish-butts tail.Blessed is Triton, Poseidon, and the sea gods.

[MermaidIvy]

My breth holding sucks. Above Water, I just did 23.63 seconds, and my best land record was 52.42.
Underwater, I can usually hold my breath for about 45 seconds when I'm diving without a tail.My water record is around 1 minute.

How do I learn to hold better? :)

[Mermaid Maleficia]

My breth holding sucks. Above Water, I just did 23.63 seconds, and my best land record was 52.42.
Underwater, I can usually hold my breath for about 45 seconds when I'm diving without a tail.My water record is around 1 minute.

How do I learn to hold better? :)
Well I started with holding my breath every 10 seconds and release~ i lay on my back in my room and do it...When underwater I usually hum in my head. Or try to occupy my thoughts about something else... honey.

[Capt Nemo]

In water, it'll take about 20 min for your body to adjust, so wait a bit before trying long holds. Even on scuba, my surface air consumption is usually very high on the first dive, and much lower on the second dive.

I usually start similar to Kitty's apnea tables with 1:00 hold/1:00 rest and repeat for about 15-20 minutes. I then start increasing the time, keeping the hold/rest times equal. If you blow early, use what you missed as rest, and then do the full rest cycle before holding again. When holding, close your eyes, and open them every so often to check time. Keeping them closed disengauges the brain which burns a lot of oxygen.

[Sea Pearl]

I'm defiantly going to try some of these exercises but not by myself though. Breath holding underwater is something I certainly need to work at but understand it will take time. As a singer myself I do practice a lot breath exercises and seem to do fine with breath holding above water, yet underwater is different for me somehow.

[Ashe]

Im not for sure... but i think it can help! <3
Also, my record is 1:06 :)

[Mermaid Wesley]

I was on a swim team for 3 years and that helped me out ALOT. I can hold static or 1:10 And Swimming for 45 ish. Try to hold your breath while doing everyday things. I hold my breath through car commercials sometimes XD

[Mermaid Margarete]

Great tips!! Thanks for sharing!!

I've done some singing (for drama/plays), I played the flute for 4 years (but that was awhile ago) and growing up we used to play this tunnel game where you had to hold your breath for as long as the tunnel was XD

I'm at about 50 seconds under the water, but I really haven't done land air holds (intentionally) before! So I'm going to start doing those and see how that helps =D

[Mermaid Narina]

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aledthomas.statictrainer&feature=search_result#?t=W10.
I got this app on my phone, and each day on the bus ride to school (an hour each way) i practise it
Ive gone from 30 second hold to 1:30 seconds in hardly any time at all!!! its definately different when i have a tail on though, because my monofin is very heavy and it tires me out.
Singing is good for mermaids? Could there be any better combination? :D

[telzey.amberdon]

Chocolate is good for losing weight?

[roamingmer]

I have the ibreathhold app and find it useful - but wanted to ask how regularly the CO2 and O2 trainings should be undertaken. Twice daily or ... Just dont want to overdo it.

Thanks

[roamingmer]

Also are you supposed / allowed to breath out a bit during the apnea? Ive seen some people blow kisses etc and still carry on. Clearly for free "diving" it introduces problems but for more horiztonal swimming?

[Elle]

Definitely learning to breathe from the diaphragm rather than the chest. It helps you understand the maximum capacity for your lungs too. Most women are chest breathers and men usually breathe from the diaphragm. I like doing some deep breathing before swimming ( old habits die hard, I used to be a competitive swimmer) and this allowed me to stay under longer after diving in. My hold time is around a minute now, it was much better when I was younger and healthier.
It's just something that you have to practice at

[Mermaid Harmony]

http://www.wikihow.com/Hold-Your-Breath-for-Long-Periods-of-Time
that's the site that I've used to help me, and I've gone from 30 seconds last month, and I just broke 2 minutes today (my goal was 2 minutes by Christmas, now it's 4 minutes by Christmas)

[Mermaid Wesley]

http://www.wikihow.com/Hold-Your-Breath-for-Long-Periods-of-Time
that's the site that I've used to help me, and I've gone from 30 seconds last month, and I just broke 2 minutes today (my goal was 2 minutes by Christmas, now it's 4 minutes by Christmas)
AAAH! 4 minutes??? HOLY SEA ANEMONE! haha that sounds... painful haha

[AptaMer]

Do you have any tricks to train the breath holding?

Only in Italy :highfive:

They hold underwater kissing (bacio subacqueo) events, people train for these, and it gets in the news when a couple sets a new record. The latest happened in September ( http://www.insportsrl.it/centro-sportivo-concorezzo/259-Record-mondiale-di-bacio-subacqueo.html http://www.ilcittadinomb.it/stories/Cronaca/712691/ ) even the training gets reported on with bated breath http://www.newsliguria.com/eventi/il-bacio-in-apnea-piu-lungo-chi-vincera-a-zoagli/9412 (pun intended)

The current world record held by Elena Colombo & Paolo Pedrinazzi is 3:45 minutes, which is longer than I've ever held my breath. They beat out previous champions Ilaria Bonin & Mike Maric at 3:08 ( http://www.laprovinciadivarese.it/stories/Cronaca/465392/ ) which is also longer than I've ever held my breath. Maybe calling it a world record is a bit overstated, since these events only happen in Italy, but, hey, until some other countries step up to the plate and hold an event, I guess Italy will own the world!

Anyhow, here's a photo of champions Bonin & Maric setting their record
8072 I could see this being great motivation to get in the pool and increase your times ;)

[seagirls626]

Above water: 1:05 Underwater: 45-50 seconds. :)

[seagirls626]

My record on land is 1:30, but that was when I was very relaxed. You hold your breath a lot longer when you're sitting on land, rather than swimming that takes more air. I play saxophone, and I can hold a note for about a minute, but I think playing saxophone really helps. I don't know any good tips other than take a deeeep breath, and when you go under let a little bit out so you're lungs aren't really stretched.

[Traveling Merman]

Ha, great... I was a singer in a band for some years... and stopped smoking 2 years ago... theres just my little problem with the asthma... but I can hold the breath about a minute... but it sounds that thats normal... so its ok for me ^^

I only know one trick... breath in... breath out... and then 2 short breaths in... it lasts for longer... buts some time out that i practiced this... so I don't know if it works now too...

I'm 1:44 and that's only when I'm completely relaxed without MDR kicking in because I'm on a dry breath hold.

I don't know about that short breath thing but it sounds like hyperventilating? Which only gives the illusion/feeling of a longer breath which means that you're co2 levels would be higher than with a regular breath hold, tests have shown that a steady breath is more beneficial. (At least that's what I've read! Lol)

I've heard that meditation is key!

[Mermaid Wesley]

ive gained 20 seconds static :)) It helps to just keep practicing. I have spoken to people who tell me that "i just cant hold my breath any longer than like 20 seconds im just not gonna get better!!!" it makes me cringe. you can train your body to go on less oxygen and its mainly mental anyways (for me atleast)

[halesloveswhales]

Hey guys. I found this article the other day. It's all about strengthening your breathing muscles. It's written for runners, but it might be helpful for us mers, too. :)
http://www.runnersworld.com/running-tips/lung-power

[Mermaid Danielle]

Cool! Thanks for posting!

[drucilla]

Great post! Thanks for sharing. :)

[roamingmer]

Thanks - the biggest problem with being a mer- running through hills at sunrise or sunset!
iHoldBreath is a great app to help; i use it whilst walking for the train most days

[Mermaid Riia]

*wink wink* this guy here has some great vids, Freediving Youbuur

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWRiVNE0spw&amp;feature=c4-overview-vl&amp;list=PLatUGL0cQoIFWWpWvWaXiAQb1s2aPNlhk

[Mermaid Ixa]

When I first started swimming I could hold for 25 second underwater and now am at 50ish I found my niche though. For me I realized I was just doubting myself. I thought I could only hold for that long or I would pass out and bad things would happen. Once I got past that my time jumped at least +20 seconds. I just realized that I could do this and hold my breath for longer and viola! I could! I also focus on different things while swimming and that helps.

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Freediving tips not recommended if you don't have a swim buddy or have some kind of medical condition that activates on stress, panic, water depth etc.

Epileptics shouldn't try it alone.

[AptaMer]

I found this video very helpful.


http://youtu.be/nK9U5sc53iM http://youtu.be/nK9U5sc53iM

[Merman Delphis]

I just tested myself; 19 seconds... I'm gonna keep going on this:)

[Nana]

Someone I know on the internet claims he can hold his breath for 3 minutes. Dunno if its true but knowing that someone has done it before fuels me to keep training. Till I reach that time.

[SeaChange]

I generally estimate I'm comfortable with just 30 seconds or so, but sitting on the couch, I did some warm-up breathing, then set a timer and got 45 on the first go and a full minute on the second!

I used to have very good lung capacity, as some of the others have mentioned, because I was a flautist, but it's been years since then! My band leader was a severe, severe asthmatic who credited the trumpet with building his lung strength enough that he lived to adulthood.

[Sherielle]

Just this weekend I saw my time go up dramatically. I was able to swim the length of a Olympic sized pool in one breath. Then at a labor day party at my community pool I had on my tail and was able to stay under much longer than normal. I don't know what I did, but I'll take it!

[mermaid desirae]

Are there any professional mermaids or mermen who have asthma? Asthma makes breath holding very hard sadly.

[Mermaid Jaffa]

I have a friend who has asthma, she goes swimming a lot. She says it helps her with learning how to breath properly. She doesn't do mermaid swimming, just regular swimming in laps. She definitely can hold her breath much better than me or the lifeguards.

[mermaid desirae]

Thank you ireneho :)

[MermaidCelesteFL]

I do the hyperventilation method, and I've been clocked at abour 2 mins 45 seconds sitting still.

[Mermaid Melanie]

You should avoid hyperventilation because it tricks your body into thinking you have more air than you do and can lead to black outs - the key is slowly breathing to slow your heart down making your body consume oxygen more slowly.

[Sherielle]

I have mild asthma but I haven't had a problem with swimming and my breath holding time is getting longer and longer.

[Vrindavana Starfish]

^ Singing? Really? interesting :)

Definitely. Singing strengthens your diaphragm and breath control. Breathing out in a controlled way is just as important to holding your breath as holding it is. Probably more, not sure.

Before my honeymoon, my husband and I downloaded an iPhone app called Apnea. It has breath-holding exercises that you can practice (out of the water) to help increase your breath-holding time. It helped. I'm not sure if there's an android version.

When I lived near the water and was snorkeling every day, I could hold my breath for around 2.5-3 minutes. Now I'm only around 1.5 minutes, which is still good, considering how little I'm able to swim. My current breath-holding time is due almost entirely to singing keeping my lungs strong.