Smoking and breath-holding

[bluebanded goby]

I smoked a pack to a pack and a half of cigarettes for about 15 years from ages 20 to 35. I'm now 47, and haven't smoked for 12 years.

When I was in my late teens, with some effort I could hold my breath underwater for the better part of a minute. I now find, however, that if I do a breath-holding freedive I'm not good for much longer than half a minute at most.

Is this limited capability probably related to my past years of smoking? Or maybe other factors, such as the gradual effects of age? I doubt I'll ever be a champion freediver, but I wouldn't mind working on this if the effect isn't irreversible. Thanks for any reactions.

 

[sky50960]

First you should be “ in good physical condition " for breath holding dives.
Get medical advice before starting a skin diving course.
I also would recommend you a chest X-Ray ( past of smoker… 15% of the smokers develop chronique obstructive pulmonary disease )

Try to keep yourself in chape try : some running, spinning, fitness to improve respiratory muscles and pulmary volumes.

While aging there are some pulmonary volume changes: death volume tend to increase, and total pulmonary capacity tend to decrease, that is why whit aging it becomes more difficult to practice breath holding.

I am sure whit practice you certainly will be able to hold your breath for 3 minutes

After stopped smoking you nee more or les 6 years to return at a normal “ non smoking “ level, so you quite more than 10 years ago…

Keep practicing…

Fa

 

[rcohn]

Also you need to do s series of breath holds for around 15 minutes or more to reach your best times. If you only do a couple of dives you won't have t your best results.

Ralph

 

[sky50960]

Yes if you want to perform breath holding dives you need a progressives training with many different breath-holding techniques.
You need to perform dynamic and static apneas, expiratory apneas, breathing techniques ( no hyperventilation )…
Yes you need to be in good physical condition how lower you cardiac frequency is how better. (immersion bradycardia helps with that ).
You can start in front of your TV for example.
Never hyperventilate, breath normally but the expiration has to be profound.
Never Never Dive alone.

Fa

 

[bluebanded goby]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm in fairly decent shape these days -- bicycle five miles a day, do some toning with free weights, etc.

I was interested in the suggestion about "spinning" for fitness, as I haven't run into this before. Although I use a bike at home, I need to find a good cardio routine for travel, as I have a bad knee and can't jog anymore. Is this spinning as in whirling like a dervish? Anywhere to find out more about this technique? Thanks again.

 

[bluebanded goby]

Actually I just did a web search and discovered that spinning is something you do a new high-falutin kind of stationary bike. Which doesn't quite solve my problem of non-jogging cardio exercise for travel that doesn't require much equipment. I guess there's always swimming, of course ... maybe jumping jacks?

 

[sky50960]

Well spinning is a very hard sport, real cardio. stuff :fury:

The greatest thing you can do is swimming with and without fins.
That is one of the best sports on earth, you also will never get hurt ( tendonitis and so on…)
Try to make it a little sportif inspiration on surface and long expiration underwater.
Swimming will not hurt your knee; and you dont have to wear fins after all.

About jumping i am not so sure but wy not!!!!!

Fa