How To Increase Lung Capacity
Last Updated on Sunday, 27 December 2009 23:02 Written by Josh White Thursday, 13 March 2008 11:00
For 20 years or more it has been known that a persons lung capacity is an indicator of longevity. The "Framingham Heart Study" found that "The bigger that your lungs are the longer your life will be". Lung capacity provides information about the general health of the lungs.
Until recently the capacity for the lungs couldn't be physically increased, however stem cell treatments are beginning to emerge that may offer hope to those with damaged lungs or even give an edge to athletes. There are also ways to improve the efficiency of your lungs and prevent volume loss as you age.
The average human lungs hold about 5 liters of air. It was recently revealed that Grant Hacket, an Australian swimmer and one of the supreme athletes of world sport, has a whopping 13 liter lung capacity. Lung capacity can vary with height and age, sex, weight and degree of physical activity. Females tend to have 20-25% lower capacity than males and tall people tend to have more lung capacity then shorter people.
Cardio Exercise to Increase Lung Capacity
Regular exercise is a great way to help keep your respiratory system strong. Anyone can improve their lung capacity to a degree by exercise that tends to use the large muscles of the body in a rhythmic motion. Moving consistently increases the demand for oxygen and therefore so does the rate of breathing. This works by challenging the heart and lungs and will increase the lungs capacity for work.
Train at Higher Altitudes to Increase Lung Capacity
Runners who are serious can train at higher altitudes before a race. Some athletes permanently live at high altitude, only returning to sea level to compete, but their training may suffer due to less available oxygen for workouts. Their lung capacity will be larger at higher altitudes of 2,500 m (8,000 ft) above sea level because there is less pressure from the atmosphere. At this altitude, there is only 74% as much oxygen available. The body adapts to the relative lack of oxygen by increasing the concentration of red blood cells and haemoglobin. Once they come down to sea level, they have a larger overall lung capacity for 10 to 14 days because they will still have a higher concentration of red blood cells. But be careful. If you go too high and train too hard you could develop altitude sickness because your lungs can't process enough oxygen for the body's needs.
Breathing Exercises To Improve Lung Capacity
Simply paying attention to breathing, and practicing breathing exercises can improve lung capacity and overall well-being. Proper breathing such as that learned in yoga, will restore concentration and inner calmness when you feel stressed, angry or anxious. Breathing techniques are a powerful tool to calm your nervous system, slow your heartbeat, relieve insomnia, and lessen or even kill pain.
Pursed-Lip breathing is another technique which helps improve lung function before starting activities. It takes about 10 minutes. When first learning the technique, you should lie flat on a bed with your head on a pillow. Later, the technique can be performed while walking or enduring any activity requiring extra air. Firstly inhale through the nose, moving the abdominal muscles outward so that the diaphragm lowers and the lungs fill with air. Then exhales through the mouth with the lips pursed, making a hissing sound. The exhalation should be twice as long as the inhalation, so that pressure is experienced in the windpipe, and chest and trapped air is forced out.
Breath Holding and Coughing is another simple breathing technique. The idea is to inhale deeply and slowly, holding the breath for five to 10 seconds. Then cough gently on exhalation.
Playing Instruments
Learning how to play a wind or brass instrument such as a tuba, trumpet, trombone, clarinet, or flute will have the effect of increasing lung capacity. This works by helping you learn to control breathing and expand your lung capacity to utilize all the alveoli. Playing with correct diaphragm breathing techniques can increase lung capacity even further. Singing is also a great way to get the same results.
Stem Cells to Increase Lung Capacity This could be interesting for people with diseased lungs as well as athletes looking for an edge. In Nov 09 a team at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine identified progenitor stem cells in the bone marrow of mice that could prevent and treat acute lung injury. The researchers also found a way to culture the cells - called Flk-1 and CD34 - to increase their numbers and ability to attach to targets and make repairs. When the purified and cultured Flk-1 and CD34 stem cells were injected into mice with acute lung injury, the cells repaired the lung injury, prevented fluid build-up and improved survival of the mice, the researchers found. Related Social Group -> Increasing Lung Capacity.
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