What is it even that determines how long you can hold your breath for?

[adrian.u]

Thank you so much for another great answer! I just want to know who basically has physical advantages over me and who doesn’t.

The ones who have the advantage are those who laugh at perceived physical disadvantage, and largely ignore it apart from some determination to be an anomaly in any such statistics.

Besides, it's fun if you can show up some fit-looking couple-of-decades-younger guy who's nearly a foot(*) taller than you are...

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(*) For the non-Imperialists here, a foot is ~30cm – I may be a scientist and would normally use metric, but I guess I'm also becoming a bit of an old fogey these days, and it sounds so much better to British ears to use this unit in a sentence like this
- and, yes, that sort of height difference is very regularly the case for me

 

[Jamsebrown]

The ones who have the advantage are those who laugh at perceived physical disadvantage, and largely ignore it apart from some determination to be an anomaly in any such statistics.

Besides, it's fun if you can show up some fit-looking couple-of-decades-younger guy who's nearly a foot(*) taller than you are...

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(*) For the non-Imperialists here, a foot is ~30cm – I may be a scientist and would normally use metric, but I guess I'm also becoming a bit of an old fogey these days, and it sounds so much better to British ears to use this unit in a sentence like this
- and, yes, that sort of height difference is very regularly the case for me

That being said, it’s embarrassing to lose to someone who’s shorter and older than you haha xD

 

[J Campbell]

What about people with larger lung capacities? Like someone with a wide ribcage compared to someone with a narrow one, or a man compared to a woman?

Or someone with only one lung. Or someone who used to smoke. Or someone who survived lung cancer.

 

[Jamsebrown]

Or someone with only one lung. Or someone who used to smoke. Or someone who survived lung cancer.

These are obviously disadvantages.

 

[deepdiveinmyheart]

While some physical traits may provide tiny advantages, everyone's body is different. What matters most is practicing relaxation techniques and having fun with it! Don't worry about comparisons - just focus on your own progress.