How to Increase Lung Capacity for Running

Endurance is essential for most athletic endeavors, but perhaps, most especially, for the long distance runner. Conditioning your body by focusing on things such as increased lung capacity can increase your ability to run longer and faster.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Yoga mat
• Yoga class or tape
• Aerobics/ cardio classes or tapes
• Running shoes
• Swimming attire
• Swimming pool

1. Increase the length and difficulty of your running workouts. By gradually increasing the amount of work required to successfully complete your run, you can help to increase your endurance and expand your lungs' capacity to take in more air.

2. Mix up your workouts to include lap swimming. Swimming, in principle, requires greater lung capacity to swim longer distances under water.

3. Run some laps while you're in the pool. Underwater running requires more effort than running on land. Your local community or recreational center may even offer water walking and running classes where you work on your endurance.

4. Listen to your breath and try yoga. Many runners have found that the focused breathing required by yoga practice may increase their lung capacity. By focusing on breathing into the belly and not the chest, the diaphragm muscle is exercised and more oxygen is taken into the lungs with each breath.

5. Take an aerobics or cardio class at your local gym. Increased cardiovascular activity has been shown to help improve lung capacity.

6. Train at a higher altitude. When running in an area that is closer to sea level, there is less pressure on your lungs to draw each breath. Your lungs will be forced to work harder when you run at a higher elevation.

7. Make your goal for increased lung capacity a long-range one. You will not achieve increased lung capacity overnight, no matter what method you try. You may even make yourself sick if you push your body beyond its limits, particularly if you are new to training at higher elevations.

8. Give up smoking or don't start in order to increase your lung capacity for running. Smoking decreases your lungs ability to take in oxygen, thus limiting your lungs overall capacity.

Tips & Warnings

• No matter what your physical condition, you should always seek the advice of a physician before embarking on a strenuous exercise regimen such as that designed to increase lung capacity. Follow your doctor's advice on the level and frequency of activity you should undertake.