Turbocharge Your Lung Capacity

We’ll show you five great ways to boost your lung capacity for turbo-charged fitness and perfect health. And the ability to stay underwater for absolutely ages. Work to the max. “Stronger lungs mean more stamina and physical sharpness, whatever sport you do,” says Peter Melanson, strength and conditioning coach for the US Olympic team. Want faster 5K times? Boost your VO2 max  – the speed your lungs oxygenate your blood, which in turn fuels your muscles. “Do 30 mins of cardio three times a week and increase the distance by 5% every week.”

Steam in. Germs and bugs clog up your internal bellows, sapping endurance and making you hack like a pensioner. According to the American Journal of Medicine, steam will flush them clear. Crank up a scalding hot shower, close your bathroom door and sit in the steam for 20 minutes. You’ll emerge with the stamina of distance-running legend Haile Gebrselassie. Probably.

Get your own gills. Get the underwater prowess of a fish by, well, killing them and eating their essence. American Lung Association studies found that consuming 20g of fish oil a day boosted lung function by a breathtaking 64%. Stock up on oily fi sh or simply grab a daily dose of the supplement Coromega. Then change your name to Neptune.

Shadow box. Training after work is the perfect time to boost your lung function, too. “Hitting a punch bag for about 20 minutes a day, three or four times a week is a tried and tested way of improving your cardiovascular and respiratory system. And there’s no better time to do it than after work. “The lungs are nearly 20% more powerful at 5pm than they are at noon,” explains Boris Medarov, lead researcher at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. Unless 5pm is your ciggy break, that is.

Lotus lung power. Yoga’s benefits extend beyond a female-to-male class ratio of four to one. Researchers from Ball State University, Indiana, found taking stretch classes twice a week for 15 weeks significantly stretched their air-bags. Try Ashtanga yoga in particular – it’s nicknamed the “athlete’s yoga” for its aerobic qualities. “Lung function increases with anything that encourages deep breathing,” says Dr Noemi Eiser of the British Lung Foundation. She’s thinking yoga. Not what you’re thinking.

About the Author: