Train Your Lungs

Running. When you’re out on the cardio trail, 80% of the work is done by your diaphragm. Several reasearches demonstrated that strengthening your diaphragm improves your breathing and your endurance. To exercise your diaphragm, it is advisable to practice coordinated breathing. Start by breathing in for two steps and breathe out for the next two. Advance to three-three, then finally four-four.



Swimming. Breathing in less water is a good place to start and fewer breaths will get you from end to end quicker. Studies at the A study found that swimmers who decrease the frequency of their breaths improve the delivery of oxygen to their muscles. Build up your lung power by increasing the number of strokes per breath, until you can finally manage eight strokes.



Cycling. Many professional cyclers have a lung capacity of eight litres, which is two litres above average. Although this in part depends on genetics, you can train yourself to be more efficient. Use a weightlifting technique of long, slow exhalation when doing endurance work. Because cycling is basically one long push, inhaling fast and deep prior to slowly breathing out when lifting copies the demands on your muscles and lungs when cycling.



Soccer. It is important how fast your lungs swap carbon dioxide for oxygen and how fast blood delivers that oxygen to your muscles. The upper level at which training can be sustained for prolonged periods is known as the anaerobic threshold and in Premiership footballers this has been measured at a massive 77%. Improve your breathing Performing soccer activities, but warm-up thoroughly first.