An odd question, so I apologise.

Recently went to the doc’s as I have had yet another chest infection. I have chronic asthma which is maintained by the use of ‘preventer’ inhalers.

We compared my peak flow results with earlier ones and doc said I was consistently blowing less than I should have been when not unwell (obv less at present cos of chest infection).

Doc says that suggests I have less lung capacity than I should have for my height and age. I don’t smoke and never have smoked (apart from the odd cigar once or twice a year) and there’s no suggestion of any other problems.

So – is there any way to increase or maximise lung capacity and function – are there any exercises or drills I can do?

You can make your breathing more efficient with a bit of Yoga…
http://www.yogawiz.com/pranayama/kapalbhati.html

Have a look at these :
PowerBreathe

Swimming through formative years is good, not sure what it will do now if anything.

are you talking about your “capacity” to generater a decent peak flow or lung capacity, which is a different thing (or some different things, even)

… or both of the above ?

scaredypants – Member

are you talking about your “capacity” to generater a decent peak flow or lung capacity, which is a different thing (or some different things, even)

… or both of the above ?

I suppose more function than simple capacity – ie ability to take in more air allowing greater oxygenation? That Powerbreathe thing suggests you can ‘train’ your lungs, but is this simply guff or legit science?

That Powerbreathe thing suggests you can ‘train’ your lungs, but is this simply guff or legit science?

Having had one and tried it, I’d say guff…

I’ve consistently had a lung age 10 years older than I am since I first had it done 20 years ago.

One of my close friends who smokes like a chminey and is 10 years older than me has a lung age 10 years younger than me but i’m way fitter.

I think it must be a pretty crude measure of fitness, it doesn’t really take into account what your body does with the oxygen.

i’m interested in peoples opinion on this.
As a child and teenager I suffered terribly with Asthma and had a number of awful experiences where I ended up on machines in hospital. When I got to around 18 I started jogging and took up running quite seriously (although only half decent club standard) but my Asthma improved significantly.
There may have been other factors but my family GP who knew my history was convinced it was due to daily training. I ran up to 80 miles a week at one point and although I had to take medication daily (and couldnt exercise without it) It was far more controllable. I could blow the flow meter apart and my heart rate dropped to low 40’s at rest.
I still jog a bit and I still have to take medication daily but I think yes you can increase your lung capacity.

I think if your diaphragm and intercostal muscles are stronger you could pull in more air, couldn’t you?

I think so yes.
Im quite a shallow breather, and sometimes that bothers me as i understand the process or atrophication.
Use it or lose it 😆

So I get into a tizzy about big deep breaths, to stretch tthe chest and at least feel like im taking in more.

Atrophy affects the organs as much as it does muscles. So the opposite Hypertrophy, which is how they increase, can indeed be affected by exercising it.

You can’t increase your lung capacity unless you modify the size of your rib cage, however, through more efficient use of the diaphragm and intercostal muscles you can expel / inhale more air each cycle – this is how freedivers train. Having a more efficient CV system to carry and burn the O2 also helps.

Peak flow measures rate of expiration, not capacity

When you say the preventer inhaler, do you mean the brown one?

Asthma is a swelling of the airways, which obstructs the airflow and therefore reduces the rate of expiration. The brown inhalers are corticosteroids (different to anabolic steroids) which reduce swelling and therefore improve the rate of airflow. Anything that reduces the swelling therefore good, and anything that might exacerbate it (ie infection) is bad. So the short answer is yes, you can improve your peak flow numbers, and it sounds like you are already doing the right things to do so.

The answer to your question is no, it is not possible.

The answer in the case of chronic asthma is yes you can

Do you breath properly? Many people use only the upper part of their lungs. This is obvious when you ask them to take a deep breath – their abdomen goes in and the shoulders rise. You need to breath “downwards”. Allow you abdomen to expand outwards (keep you shoulders low) and also try to feel your back expanding too. I didn’t know about this stuff before taking up playing a woodwind.

^ exactly. As a Bassoonist I used to be able to nearly get to the end of the scale on a peak flow meter. Being able to hold notes for 15 bars or so is good lung capacity practice!

you can’t grow your lung wall, as it gets older it gets less stretchy (and smoking accelerates this as well as blocking the alveoli where the gas transfer takes place) so the breathing exercises help you to get as much volume into the lung to use what you have as well as you can.

Using your diaphragm stretches your lung further than intercostal (rib) muscles (both in tandem even better) and because it’s one muscle it is more controllable

Check out some free dive and apnea excercise.
No tanx has a cool website.
It’s not necessarily going to increase your lung capacity but I’m sure you’ll benefit from some of it.
Singing basic breathing excercise will also be well worth checking out.

All the best