Holding Your Breath, How Long?

[Old Goat]

Over the years I have heard that a person can get some idea of the condition of their resperatory system by holding their breath, the longer the better. I do not know if this is true or not, but here is what I can do.  I did a lot of swimming and diving when I was in my teens,twenties and thirties. I could easily hold my breath  for three minutes while sitting still. Movement and swimming under water would cut that time down.  I am now 75 years old and can only hold my breath for one minute and thirty five seconds. I think my breathing capability is still pretty good. How about you?...

[AustinBoston]

I've never been in great shape, but if I deliberately hyperventilated then I had no trouble holding my breath for two minutes as a teenager, one time going to two minutes 27 seconds.  

I am convinced the ability to hold one's breath has more to do with relaxing, being able to shut down one's body, the richness of one's blood supply, and tolerance of elevated levels of carbon dioxide than it is about the health of one's lungs.  Unhealthy lungs can make holding one's breath impossible.

I don't do it today because I think holding one's breath longer than about 30 seconds is more dangerous than it's worth.  Although most people will resume breathing normally if they pass out from holding their breath, I don't want to find out the hard way that I was in the small group who didn't.  :yikes:

 :book: One of the things that makes some forms of sleep disorders so dangerous is that the person stops breathing for a period of time.  After a time (30-90 seconds), the person will resume breathing, sometimes with a snort or something of that sort.  This is considered a very strong risk factor for a heart attack.

Austin

[ScoobyDoo]

Just barly long enough to vote.


 Opps, I shouldn't say that here.

[AustinBoston]

Just barly long enough to vote.


 Opps, I shouldn't say that here.

Relax.  You can breathe at the polls.  It's not the polls that stink, it's the candidates...

Austin

[shellcjt]

AustinBoston
Duct Tape Member

Well I'm partial to bungee cords - got em & use everywhere and all the time  :#

[JimQPublic]

Four minutes, twelve seconds in a freediving class this summer.  I didn't feel all that relaxed though.  I imagine if I worked on it I would hit 5:00 pretty easily.  Beyond that it gets harder.  I'm 41.

My coach in the class- Martin

[AustinBoston]

AustinBoston
Duct Tape Member

Well I'm partial to bungee cords - got em & use everywhere and all the time  :#

You're the first person to mention it.  Up to this point, nobody has noticed (or at least said anything) that my Avitar is the logo for the Possum Lodge of Red Green fame.

Austin

[brainpause]

I don't try to hold my breath. Don't wanna be in a situation where I would need to.

However, I took a Smoke Divers class when I was a firefighter. Basically, they put you in extreme situations and show you ways out that you might not think of, especially while under pressure.

One of the drills was to get a full bottle of air, that usually lasts about 20-22 minutes in a working fire. We were to learn to train our breathing to make the air last as long as possible. We were sitting still, as if trapped, concentrating on breathing. Out of 30 guys and gals, only 1 beat me. I lasted 90 minutes on one bottle of air; he lasted another 5 or so.

Larry

[zamboni]

In high school, I could hit 4 minutes; I swam in junior high.  A couple of years ago, in a friend's pool, I was relating that it is easy to go over 30 seconds -- we'd watched a "Survivor" episode where they had to hold their breath for the immunity necklace, and some dropped out after under 20 seconds, and the winner was only like 1:20 minutes.

I'd mentioned how I used to easily do over 3 minutes, and my wife asked if I still could (I am significantly less "in shape").

I hyperventilated for about a minute.  Dropped down and hugged the pool ladder.

I lasted 3:27... very out of shape (MUCH heavier than now - about 360 lbs), not having practiced, at 34 years old.

I do believe that anyone should be able to hold their breath 30 seconds without trying.  I have, periodically, while mowing the lawn, reading, watching TV, etc, said to myself "NOW", and held it - no matter if I had just inhaled or exhaled (ie, no warning, no inhaling).  Just to prove I can do 30 seconds NO MATTER WHAT.  Never failed, even if I'd just exhaled.