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Proper breathing is essential during exercise but should you try to increase your lung capacity? It seems like the average person who exercises regularly wouldn't concern themselves with increased lung capacity the way an endurance athlete would. However, improving your own lung capacity can benefit you when you are working out. Even if you have no plans to race in a triathlon, you can reap the benefits.
Most athletes work on improving their lung capacity because in turn, it increases their endurance and stamina. If you exercise on a regular basis, you may notice an increase in your own endurance and stamina by improving your lung capacity.
Ways to Increase Lung Capacity
You cannot physically increase the size of your lungs but there are ways to improve the efficiency of your lungs. The average person's lungs holds between 4 - 6 liters of air. Lung capacity also varies on height, age, sex, weight, as well as physical activity. For example, a swimmer would have a much larger lung capacity than someone who only works out a few times a week.
Cardio Exercises
One of the most common ways to improve lung capacity is through regular cardio exercise. Running is a good exercise to begin with. Some runners purposely live or train in areas of higher altitude because there is less available oxygen. The body then has to adapt to training with the lack of oxygen which in turns increases lung capacity. However, this can be dangerous as there is the risk of altitude sickness when the lungs cannot process enough oxygen for the body.
Breathing Exercises
Another method is by performing breathing exercises. Yoga is often turned to for learning how to breathe better. One breathing exercise I practice often is deep belly breathing. It really helps to relax me when I am feeling anxious or stressed. I once read that the average person does not breathe properly and that we lose lung capacity as we age. Breathing exercises are probably beneficial for those reasons.
Improve Your Posture
Having good posture also helps to improve lung capacity because when you are slouching over you constrict the amount of air your lungs take in. Practice sitting and standing with correct posture.
It should go without saying but smoking reduces your lung capacity among the other negative side effects. I think improving one's lung capacity wouldn't hurt. Have you purposely tried increasing your own?
Resources: How To Increase Lung Capacity
Yours in Health,
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i think for every human is good to increase long capacity,it helps you walk smart and do not feel tired,i was once an athlete later quite and was no longer exercising so i became very lazy and my breath could no longer hold me for long i now went back to exercise so as to increase my lung capacity which took me months but later get accustomed to it,so its very necessary to workout consistently
Having a better cardiorespiratory system can make you feel more energetic during the day, so it’s definitely a plus for anyone. I’ve done all sorts of exercises over the years that tax my lung capacity, but some of the best ones include Crossfit and training with my university’s wrestling team. Wrestlers have some really sick workouts!