Building lung capacity - advice needed

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Grooter
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Building lung capacity - advice needed

Post by Grooter » Sun Nov 13, 2011 1:03 pm

I caught the flu about a month ago and one of the things it was kind enough to leave was a total bastard of a cough. I had to spend nights on the couch as I'd get coughing fits so bad I'd wake the missus and baby up. 4 weeks on and I was still hocking up chunks of phlegm as well

End result is that I'm convinced my lung capacity has taken a fair beating from this as I've found that I'm emerging gasping for air a lot more than I used to when taking a decent beating.

So my question is what is a good way to get it back.

I go to the gym twice a week and also go for a run once a week too but I guess that is probably not enough?

Is it as simple as practising holding your breath underwater or are there other things I can do to speed the process up.
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Re: Building lung capacity - advice needed

Post by Dingus » Sun Nov 13, 2011 1:17 pm

Stop pausing to beg him to slap you with it again while you're larynx-deep.
offshore1 wrote:^^^I don't think anyone really cares [about boogie boarders] anymore Dae.
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Re: Building lung capacity - advice needed

Post by Grooter » Sun Nov 13, 2011 1:44 pm

Dae wrote:Stop pausing to beg him to slap you with it again while you're larynx-deep.
I'm asking a serious question here champ

If you have some advice/knowledge I'd appreciate it.
some cnut wrote:There are only two real problems that we face in life, knowing what we want but being unable to know how to get it and/or not knowing what we want
It's possible to hate the filthy world and still love it with an abstract pitying love

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Re: Building lung capacity - advice needed

Post by Dingus » Sun Nov 13, 2011 2:15 pm

Well it looks like our new bout of navel-gazing is working then.
offshore1 wrote:^^^I don't think anyone really cares [about boogie boarders] anymore Dae.
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Haz
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Re: Building lung capacity - advice needed

Post by Haz » Sun Nov 13, 2011 2:18 pm

Interested in this as well, I had Asthma for most of my childhood and as a result I can't hold my breath for long. Without a doubt the biggest problem I have in the surf.

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Re: Building lung capacity - advice needed

Post by brendo » Sun Nov 13, 2011 3:29 pm

why dont ya go down the local pool hatchy, and do some laps. have a breather, then try an underwater lap or 3. if you do this consistently you will build up capacity. or you could go all laird on us, and run on the bottom of the pool holding a 10kg weight :lol:
my missus was a really good competitve swimmer, she swears she can do a full lap of olympic pool underwater. being a bit competitive i tried it earlier this yr, did 42m....cant let a girl beat me can i :?: :oops:

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Re: Building lung capacity - advice needed

Post by Grooter » Sun Nov 13, 2011 9:20 pm

^^^

Yeah I've heard about the whole running under water thing, not sure whether I could do that, laps under-water though sounds like a half-decent idea
some cnut wrote:There are only two real problems that we face in life, knowing what we want but being unable to know how to get it and/or not knowing what we want
It's possible to hate the filthy world and still love it with an abstract pitying love

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Re: Building lung capacity - advice needed

Post by alakaboo » Sun Nov 13, 2011 10:12 pm

brendo wrote:why dont ya go down the local pool hatchy, and do some laps. have a breather, then try an underwater lap or 3. if you do this consistently you will build up capacity. or you could go all laird on us, and run on the bottom of the pool holding a 10kg weight :lol:
my missus was a really good competitve swimmer, she swears she can do a full lap of olympic pool underwater. being a bit competitive i tried it earlier this yr, did 42m....cant let a girl beat me can i :?: :oops:
Could do about 80m+ when I was fit. Never quite made 100. Trick is to do it slowly. Maybe manage 50 now.

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Re: Building lung capacity - advice needed

Post by Slowman » Mon Nov 14, 2011 10:37 am

Hypoxic training sets will help you. At swim squad these are a foundation for increasing oxygen efficiency, it won't really help with increasing lung capacity per se, just make a breath go further - same goal though. Assuming you can breath bilaterally when swimming freestyle, do the following:
2 x 50m breath every 3rd stroke
2 x 50m breath every 5th stroke
2 x 50m breath every 7th stroke
2 x 50m breath every 9th stroke
2 x 50m breath every 7th stroke
2 x 50m breath every 5th stroke
2 x 50m breath every 3rd stroke

Now to clear all the shit out of your lungs and therefore regain/improve lung capacity here are some exercises. It's best done with an impeller but unless you have been to a respiratory specialist and had to provide a jar of sputum (lung oysters) you won't have one but a an empty Bic biro carcass (or similar) will do. This will be somewhat unpleasant. It takes about 10 minutes and will induce coughing fits which will loosen the sputum and bring it up.
1. take a very deep breath filling your lungs to capacity
2. breath out slowly through the tube and empty your lungs completely and try not to cough
3. do this about 3 times
4. by now you should have stirred up all manner of ticklishness in your lungs so hack away!
5. be really careful doing this, if you are really sick forget it, it could make you pass out

It might also be worth seeing a respiratory specialist to see if you don't have more than asthma like widening of the bronchial passages (bronchiectasis). Mind you they are bloody expensive, my initial visit was $320!!! I found colds and flus were really hammering me in the chest if the infection got down there and the cough would take weeks to clear even after the infection had gone so it started to make me think something else might also be going on.

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Re: Building lung capacity - advice needed

Post by offshore1 » Mon Nov 14, 2011 11:01 am

prretty damn funny, dae... :D
shit hatchy, run swim and surf as much as you can.....or baroness hatchette will letcha//.

failing that, buy some fancy pumps, a lycra bodysuit, a pushie, and go boy go!
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Re: Building lung capacity - advice needed

Post by offshore1 » Tue Nov 15, 2011 1:31 am

hey hatchy, I'm sure dae will agree with me in wishing you a full recovery.
Didn't mean to make an unpleasant experience worse by throwing insensitive comments at you..
get well soon cnut.. 8)
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Re: Building lung capacity - advice needed

Post by Grooter » Tue Nov 15, 2011 8:10 am

Slowman wrote:Hypoxic training sets will help you. At swim squad these are a foundation for increasing oxygen efficiency, it won't really help with increasing lung capacity per se, just make a breath go further - same goal though. Assuming you can breath bilaterally when swimming freestyle, do the following:
2 x 50m breath every 3rd stroke
2 x 50m breath every 5th stroke
2 x 50m breath every 7th stroke
2 x 50m breath every 9th stroke
2 x 50m breath every 7th stroke
2 x 50m breath every 5th stroke
2 x 50m breath every 3rd stroke

Now to clear all the shit out of your lungs and therefore regain/improve lung capacity here are some exercises. It's best done with an impeller but unless you have been to a respiratory specialist and had to provide a jar of sputum (lung oysters) you won't have one but a an empty Bic biro carcass (or similar) will do. This will be somewhat unpleasant. It takes about 10 minutes and will induce coughing fits which will loosen the sputum and bring it up.
1. take a very deep breath filling your lungs to capacity
2. breath out slowly through the tube and empty your lungs completely and try not to cough
3. do this about 3 times
4. by now you should have stirred up all manner of ticklishness in your lungs so hack away!
5. be really careful doing this, if you are really sick forget it, it could make you pass out

It might also be worth seeing a respiratory specialist to see if you don't have more than asthma like widening of the bronchial passages (bronchiectasis). Mind you they are bloody expensive, my initial visit was $320!!! I found colds and flus were really hammering me in the chest if the infection got down there and the cough would take weeks to clear even after the infection had gone so it started to make me think something else might also be going on.
Thanks man for the advice. I tried that clearing out the lung start and started coughing a fair bit so I'm guessing there is still some sludge in there. Will try the swimming exercises in due course as well.

My other half recommended doing Pranayama yoga (she's done it before) and reckons it is really good at strengthening and stretching your lungs.

Curious to know actually if anyone has tried this style of yoga....
some cnut wrote:There are only two real problems that we face in life, knowing what we want but being unable to know how to get it and/or not knowing what we want
It's possible to hate the filthy world and still love it with an abstract pitying love

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Re: Building lung capacity - advice needed

Post by Slowman » Tue Nov 15, 2011 11:39 am

Hatchman wrote:...

My other half recommended doing Pranayama yoga (she's done it before) and reckons it is really good at strengthening and stretching your lungs.

Curious to know actually if anyone has tried this style of yoga....
Never tried it and I was supposed to go to my physiotherapist and get some exercises from them, probably similar.

There is another thing that helps clearing the mucous and that is percussion on your back. Since you have a partner get yourself into a 45 degree angle downward (head down arse up over the side of your bed or lounge) and have her cup her hands and play the bongos on your back. This also helps loosen the mucous. Not as unpleasant as the breathing induced coughing but once you start coughing it's all the same.

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Re: Building lung capacity - advice needed

Post by Grooter » Tue Nov 15, 2011 12:32 pm

^^^

Yep with you on that one. We did that when I was hacking all over the place, worked pretty well at dislodging a lot of it
some cnut wrote:There are only two real problems that we face in life, knowing what we want but being unable to know how to get it and/or not knowing what we want
It's possible to hate the filthy world and still love it with an abstract pitying love

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Re: Building lung capacity - advice needed

Post by otway1949 » Tue Nov 15, 2011 1:42 pm

Hatchman wrote: My other half recommended doing Pranayama yoga (she's done it before) and reckons it is really good at strengthening and stretching your lungs.

Curious to know actually if anyone has tried this style of yoga....
Recommend it, learning diaphragmatic breathing and or Buteyko breathing is good too but see about the asthma and other issues, if they are clear a breathing program and the swimming stuff is spot on.
iF you are developing adult onset asthma then Buteyko breathing is a good way to go as it may help you prior to reaching s a level where medication management is needed.
Perhaps a stupid question, but, Do you smoke :?:
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Re: Building lung capacity - advice needed

Post by Grooter » Tue Nov 15, 2011 2:00 pm

otway1949 wrote:
Hatchman wrote: My other half recommended doing Pranayama yoga (she's done it before) and reckons it is really good at strengthening and stretching your lungs.

Curious to know actually if anyone has tried this style of yoga....
Recommend it, learning diaphragmatic breathing and or Buteyko breathing is good too but see about the asthma and other issues, if they are clear a breathing program and the swimming stuff is spot on.
iF you are developing adult onset asthma then Buteyko breathing is a good way to go as it may help you prior to reaching s a level where medication management is needed.
Perhaps a stupid question, but, Do you smoke :?:
Used to. I gave up about 12 years ago, went cold turkey from smoking a pack of Marlborough Reds a day too. I still remember the detox and how sick I got after that.

I've had the odd social smoke since then but that's it.

I don't reckon its asthma personally, I had that when I was a little kid though - brought on by my old man smoking around me when I was a baby. But when he stopped doing that so did the asthma
some cnut wrote:There are only two real problems that we face in life, knowing what we want but being unable to know how to get it and/or not knowing what we want
It's possible to hate the filthy world and still love it with an abstract pitying love

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Re: Building lung capacity - advice needed

Post by otway1949 » Tue Nov 15, 2011 4:21 pm

Hatchman wrote:
I've had the odd social smoke since then but that's it.
Call me a fascist or something but I've never understood the concept of a social smoke??
But genuinely have a look at the Pranayama yoga and Buteyko, , have you got a VHS recorder still? I think I have an old tape of the Buteyko method, give it to you over coffee when I'm down your way?

The VIC trip is on for my wife and I and I am look for tubeless waves :D
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Re: Building lung capacity - advice needed

Post by Slowman » Tue Nov 15, 2011 5:13 pm

otway1949 wrote:
Hatchman wrote:
I've had the odd social smoke since then but that's it.
Call me a fascist or something but I've never understood the concept of a social smoke??
...
I can relate, get pissed in the company of others who are smoking and have one :lol: :lol:
I gave up almost 30 years ago but it took about 10 years to give it up totally, I had to either not drink or only drink with non-smokers for a while. Then I took up endurance sports which left absolutely no room for smoking, best thing I ever did, I reckon I'd be in an iron lung otherwise.

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