Thread: How can you increase the time you can hold your breath for underwater?

I'm a former swimmer, but i still play water polo and i lifeguard, i can do 33m underwater whilst moving but when it comes staying still and holding my breathe it comes to roughly 45 secs to 1 minute. Before you ask, i'm NOT asthmatic and i DON'T smoke. Have any of you lot got any techniques i can do to improve?

Take a few deep breaths. 1st,then right before you submerged yourself,hyperventilate no more than 3 times.Practice swallowing air into stomach,takes practice but can extend bit longer if done properly,(3 deep breaths) make sure you submerged slowly and calmly.Try contracting and relaxing stomach when urge to breath comes..2 mins to 3 mins can be attained if done right.

The 1st answer was part of what I did.But, when I am not near water,i.e. watching TV, I would hold my breath during the commercials using them as timing techniques. When I would go to public pools,I would use the pools sides to work out the distance. 1 end to the other.When that is mastered,I would swim down and back, etc. Each time I would not be able to finish my intended target I would mark where I had to come up for air and work at beating that point.