Contractions

[kookiebrew]

Hi guys n girls... Been spearfishing a few yrs and was never really into the freediving side of it but last few days I've started to see how long I can hold my breath for doin a dry static... Mainly because the winter is here and I can't get out much so I thought I'd pass the boredom... Last winter I would do the co2 O2 tables as much as I could to pass the time but I don't think I've ever had a contraction... I'd just get this crazy urge to breathe, read someone call it the burn... I've searched around the net and the technique I'm using is breath up 2 mins, hold for 2 mins , rest 1 min.... Then breath up 2 mins, hold 2:10 rest 1 min, then breath up 2 mins, hold 2:20 rest 1 min...finally breath up 2 mins and hold as long as possible... I managed 3 mins 25 secs... After each breath up I empty lungs and then fill to about 90%... Am I accidentally hyperventilating doin this or is the burn I'm getting actually a contraction ...


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[mrjomac]

Hi Kookie,
I had a tendency to hyperventilate by breathing out forcibly (purging) before breathing in deeply and this basically killed my contractions or had them come on like a huge late explosion, chest pressure or burn. I didn't like this and wanted to have contractions as a way of listening to my body, especially underwater. Now I try not to force any air out when exhaling but just let as much air escape from my lungs as wants too to maintain a healthy level of Co2.
It took me a while to get my body used to regularly having contractions, but now also underwater they'll start about halfway through the hold and come on nice and easy, sort of like hiccups.
Try just breathing normally, no forced exhale or huge breaths before hold and see what happens. For me it was actually quite hard to be aware of my breathing without controlling it and breathe in deep without breathing out forcibly = hyperventilating. Some people apparently don't have contractions and I didn't for a while either, then when I stopped overbreathing I started getting this urge to swallow the spit in my mouth after about 1:20 (dry static) - contraction, another, felt weird. Now they come earlier and easier. Doesn't take long to get used to it and learn not to swallow.

 

[Cano]

I have this issue aswell, I don't think I've ever had a contraction and just get a burning sensation to come up as quickly as possible. Whenever I breath up I do it forcebly now also, deep inhale stomach 1st and then push it out like a snake. Is this wrong? I should just be breathing as normal with deeper inhales and passive exhaling? I also have the urge to swallow, so I do that too. Should I not do that?

 

[mrjomac]

Hi Cano, sounds exactly like what I was doing.
In my case that urge to swallow was the start of the first contraction and because I was forcibly exhaling it was coming late and heavy, felt like I was going to explode and I don't want to feel like that underwater.
After watching a video on youtube I was overbreathing just like it sounds you are, 3 deep breaths in with forced snake whistle exhale out. To be fair I don't think the vid actually said to force the exhale but for me as a newbie it just came natural to breath deep out after breathing deep in. I think a lot of people could start this way and end up hyperventilating and losing that alarm bell your diaphragm gives you telling you to "get yo **s back to the surface" in good time.

After doing an apnea course I'm now breathing normal volume 3 in 6 out then taking 3 deep breaths with whistling exhale but WITHOUT forcing it out, just not doing the purge makes a huge difference. The 3 in 6 out is with a slower exhale, not a forced exhale, and really to help you relax. At the course we were doing apnea stretching and one of these exercises in particular would just send me dizzy if I wasn't breathing right. Taking the course was one of the best things I did really. Learning stuff before you go is fine but having someone who know saying, "This yes, that no" is priceless.

Stopping purging and breathing as normally as possible worked for me to start getting used to my contractions. Sometimes I would kickstart the first one by swallowing but as far as I know swallowing is not a good habit to get into as you end up with air in your stomach that could be in your lungs or mouth.

 

[kookiebrew]

Thanks for the replies guys...was really bugging me why I wasn't getting contractions even when I was doin the tables last year it was the same thing... Just came on me like a freight train... It was impossible to try and relax when it came... Can't wait to try this now but I've been struck down with the flu last few days so gonna have to wait a few days...


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