Singing help breath holding?

[farawayheart]

I know it sounds kinda daft, but I was singing and would have to stop some long notes because I needed more air, and it got me wondering. Can alot of singing help lung volume, even a tiny bit? Or not at all?

[BennyB]

Man you're opening yourself up to a whole world of pain here

In all seriousness, I can't see why singing would not be beneficial. I'm talking proper singing from the diaphragm, not this Girls Aloud crap. Singing promotes diaphragm movement and control, both of which are essential for deep diving. There would also be a lot of throat control involved which is also great for packing, equalising and the like. As far as breath hold goes, i'm not sure about that but i'm pretty sure it wouldn't hurt.

So go on, sing your heart out!

[Erik]

It would help for freediving, I agree with Benny. But any intensive activity like that would in fact decrease lung volume if anything- not that that's a bad thing. You'll need to learn to stretch your lungs if you want to increase available volume. Volume ain't everything though, and proper singing would help to make you a better diver, just that stretching might make you even better.

[Stavros]

Well here is one bit of info you guys looking for training tips might be interested in:
Swedish NR holder and Bronze Medal winner at the 2007 Maribor WCh Peter Boivie is a singer (if I remember correctly thats his actual job)... So singing and statics might work well together ;-)

Cheers Stavros

[rslomkow]

Singing as a form of breath-up has been practiced by a number of "traditional" working freedivers. I remember reading an article a while back about apnea perl divers in Oceania, who worked 8hr shifts and sung during their surface intervals. If people did not sing they were more likely to contract the bends.

Singing meets the standard breath-up requirement of fast inhale controlled exhale. I would also agree that it would help with diaphragm control, and flexibility. Also it encourages deep breathing.

Some singers really do work on making themselves work without additional. Especially if you do some good Opera work.

Seems like it would be a good match.

[samdive]

and if you can't sing, playing a wind instrument is good. Anything that involves diaphragm control/exercise can really help your freediving. I always sing loud in the car on the way to training (if I'm not giving anyone a lift!) and it makes a real difference. Loic used to play the harmonica on the boat on the way out to sea. I play the sax which isn't quite so portable!

[Haydn]

Singers warm up in much the same way as freedivers do. They do diaphram and 'normal' warm up exercises and breath just like us. I am not so sure that simply singing would help freedivers, its not simply the act of singing that counts. A freediver might just as well do proper warm ups. Its more the other way around, the act of breathold and diaphram training helps a person to sing better. In fact its essential. Of course. if a freediver does sing for a living or just every week at Church, then singing might help because it will have encouraged control over many years.

[EdHornby]

I'd agree with the posts above - If you've had singing or instrument lessons where someone has taught you diaphragm control then this is a bonus when it comes to freediving (I studied music at university and play saxophone as a main instrument) as your inhale/exhale control will probably be better.
However if you want to get better at freediving then singing lessons wouldn't be as productive as yoga or freediving coaching
musicians/singers don't gain from extended inhale exhale or lung stretching because for most of the time you don't need to hold notes for that long, and you don't often get 30 seconds to do a big inhale before the next musical phrase comes along
If you are running out of air when singing this is because you're pushing too much air through the larynx while singing

[farawayheart]

Originally Posted by EdHornby

If you are running out of air when singing this is because you're pushing too much air through the larynx while singing

No, i do mean if I do a few whole lines/a line and then try a big long note, without breathing in between them. I dont just mean needing air after a few words

thanks for the answers everyone!

[Blue Straggler]

Off on a Straggler tangent, to invert your question, I read once that Frank Sinatra used to swim repeated 50m DNF in his pool, to keep his lungs all chipper.

[Blue Straggler]

Oh and on another tangent, I think the longest recorded sustained, unbroken, single pitch sung note, was 15 seconds by Donna Summer, I forget the song but I don't think it's "I Feel Love"

(and a tangent to the tangent - the highest-pitch recorded note is said to be Mariah Carey, I forget the song but I think it was at a Superbowl interval performance)

[littlefreediver]

and back to the original point... I use chanting as a big part of my yoga and meditation practice, and was noted in my yoga teacher training as being able to hold a chant for the longest in the group - so that reflected larger than average lungs. But I find it relaxing and it opens everything up in the mornings to you can breathe better. And it makes me happy! I always meditate before a big dive and chanting is part of that. So I would say a BIG YES to singing helping freediving!!!

[DiverTodd]

As a trained singer who's been singing since age 6, I can definately say that YES, singing DOES help with freediving. My lungs aren't exactly HUGE (when Martin measured them last June, they were just over 4 liters...but then, I was kinda new at the Spirometer), BUT, I know how to use my diaphragm. In sheer volume, I can reach just about car alarm level; I demostrated this to some co-workers, and one covered her ears (growing up in musical theatre, I learned how to hit the BACK of the house with my voice). And yes, we do work with lung volume, as well, knowing when to reserve air for a long note. At the end of Cyndi Lauper's "I Drove All Night", she holds out a 48 count note....and I can match it, and beyond. The only drawback to this, however, is that due to years and years of singing, I have a VERY strong diaphragm...which makes my contractions VERY strong, and tough to bear! Anyway, the whole point of this rambling being, it's not the SIZE of your lungs, it's knowing how to USE them!

Todd

[jeff1]

I believe that singing practice, and not just singing songs alone will help you in holding your breath . If the chosen song is simple and needing very little skill to sing, then it will do little for breath holding. But
little is better than nothing .

[SEDATE]

if you want to impove you diaphram abilty..
first exercize:
Say A and 0 rapidly
second exercise:
take a deep breath and try to say quickly SS..SS SS ..sound would come beetween your teeth (like snake voices)
Don't do second exercise too much ..because it can give an effect your body like hyperventilasion.. i mean your head can turn or you feel more oxygenized
cheers