More to Breathing Than Just Breathing?

[sinkweight]

Howdy y'all,

I'd like to start out by just reinterating how much Deeperblue.net, its staff and members alike have helped me out in just the several days since membership. I'm proud to be, or at least feel like, part of the close-knit international family of freedivers, and even our blacksheep relatives, the scuba divers (just kidding all you tankbacks!).

Alright, back to the subject....

Sometimes, when I'm breathing up, or practicing my breathing tables (just started recently, thanks to a posted thread), I feel like I'm not using my lungs full capacity.

I try to tell myself it's probably just nothing, and I'm thinking too much. Other times it feels apparent that I'm not grabbing enough air.

Does diaphram strength weaken when diving too many times in a week?

Could my diet be affecting this?

Is there a certain way I should be intaking air?

Is there more to breathing than just breathing?

It's not always like this. Somedays I can really fill up like a latex balloon, and other days, I feel like I'm trying to inflate a glass bottle. Rather disheartening when I really feel like swimming/diving on my "off" days. I mean, it's not like my performance is diminished greatly, or anything, I'm just not at full capacity.

More or less, is this normal? or am I overlooking something.

Help me out till I save enough money for a Performance Freediving Clinic.

Should I get my lung capacity tested and measured?


HAAAYAAALP!

 

[efattah]

I have used a spirometer for years, and I often find that on the days when it feels like I'm not getting a full 'fill', the numbers say the opposite! Actually, on the days when it feels like I get a huge fill, according to the spirometer it is the opposite.

I think that when the lungs are well stretched, you inhale and feel no resistance, getting a huge lungful and making it feel as though nothing filled up.

On the days when you are not stretched, inhaling itself stretches the lungs and makes you feel huge, but in fact the non-flexibility prevents a full fill....

This may not be the case with you, but it was with me...

Eric Fattah
BC, Canada

 

[DeepThought]

Breathing technique:

Sit straight.
Put one hand on your sternum, nipple-high.
Put the other hand on your belly, covering the navel.
Breath normally, not deeply.

Which of your hands move?

Lower hand means you used your diaphragm for breathing, upper hand means you used your intercostals for breathing.
Both moves means you used both.

In freediving, it is commonly accepted that you should start your inhale with the diaphragm, till you feel you can't stretch it anymore, and then continue yor inhale with your intercostals.
Exhale should be done in the opposite order, intercostals first, diaphragm last.

Never noticed my diaphragm weakening, no matter how many dive sessions I had in that day/week/month.

 

[sinkweight]

Eric,

What you've stated makes sense. I'll have to take it into consideration, and keep that notion in mind next time I swim or dive. Maybe I'll start a little log and record performance time compared to my "percieved" lung capacity.

Truly, goings on inside of our very own bodies are not what they seem sometimes.

It's these little nuggets of personal experience that help others weed out their own problems.

Thanks for the insight. I enjoy your replies almost as much as I enjoy your posts. I look forward to 1285 more, as well.

Maybe one day I'll be priveleged to bestow to you the meaning of life.

It came from a wise, old man. I'm not sure how true it is...considering that most of it was based on eating as many fried twinkies as you want and watching Benny Hill reruns in your favorite boxers.

Alright, so I don't have any advice to barter with just yet. But if I ever get my hands on some good tidbits, I'll pass'em your way.

Thanks again for sharing your time experience and expertise,

Warren

 

[sinkweight]

Micheal,

Again, as stated above, this is exactly two examples of the precise kind of input I was looking for!

It's good to know that I've been breathing the right way all this time. This eliminates one of the problems I thought might be contributing to this bothersome feeling.

Well, I say I've been breathing correctly NOW, but I'll have to see how I breath up, the next time I get some training in. It might just be a matter of getting more practice in and really concentrating on my methods.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge. You're another member I always like hearing from, and thanks for taking time to reply to mine. I don't think there's any other forum with such goodwill amongst its members.

Thank you again,

Warren

I hope all's well for you in Tel-Aviv!