Guest guest Posted December 21, 2009 Report Share Posted December 21, 2009 I happened to catch an old National Geographic special this weekend that featured Alan Alda and free diving. I have maintained that some of my breathing techniques (natural tendencies) are directly attributed to my being part fish. As a youth in Minnesota, you could not keep me out of the water during the summer months. I have kept swimming, though never competitively. I am not a speed swimmer, but do enjoy surface diving and the solitude of being under water. In order to stay down longer (even if not in deep water), one has to pump the lungs to hold more air. Basically, three-four " gulp air " breaths to expand the lung capacity. If I do that before I dive, the last breath is more effective and I can stay down slightly longer because it forces more oxygen into the blood. The principle was discussed and demonstrated on the special. I tried it after the show and it works... albeit only temporarily, but it does work. Kinda adds another level of control if you know how to do it and how to bring up your sat more quickly. You need to know it and know how it works (practice in a control environment with your oximeter). You are not going to hold your breath, you are going to pump up your lungs to temporarily increase your lung capacity. Note of caution... I may just be blowing smoke for some of you as there are so many permutations of this disease amongst us. ALWAYS practice caution. Oh yeah, I am currently not receiving my digests, but check the site to catch up. I am working the problem with the yahoo groups. I miss the ease of the digests. Stefani 61 year old Utahn ILD 2/2006, NSIP (fibrotic) 10/2009, Diabetes II 2/2006, Sleep Apnea 4/2009 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.