How to Increase Breathing Rate
Breathing rate, or respiratory rate, is the number of inhalations and exhalations performed each minute. The breathing rate can increase when a person is scared, excited, under stress, or during a workout.
One can purposely increase his breathing rate by forcefully inhaling and exhaling while sitting still. This can lead to hyperventilation easily and may cause the person to feel lightheaded, dizzy, or even pass out. A better way to increase the breathing rate is to work out the lungs, conditioning them to function more efficiently.
Instructions
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Check with your doctor. If you are having trouble with your breathing rate and find you are breathing more slowly than you were in the past, you should visit your doctor for a full checkup before you try anything else. You may have a condition that requires you to be under a doctor's care, or you may need some medication to help increase your breathing rate.
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Exercise your lungs. Breathe in as deep as you can and hold the breath. Count to 10, then slowly release the breath. Repeat this five to 10 times. Take another deep breath, hold it for a count of five, then take another deep breath on top of the first. Hold for five more seconds, and slowly release. Repeat this second exercise five to 10 times.
Exercising the lungs will help stretch them, so you will be able to increase your respiration at a healthy rate and have the lung capacity to hold more air with each breath. This will decrease your risk of hyperventilating.
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Increase your cardiovascular exercise. Try to increase your duration of exercise in each cardio session by about five minutes. This will help increase your breathing rate and increase your lung capacity and endurance. If you are not performing cardiovascular exercise currently, try to incorporate at least three sessions per week of cardio into your workout routine.
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Focus on your breathing rate while you are watching TV or relaxing. This gives you an opportunity to pay attention to your breathing rate and increase it at will. Try to increase your breathing rate for about a minute. Focus on breathing more rapidly during that minute, but make sure the breaths are deep enough that you don't hyperventilate.
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Tips & Warnings
Gradually build up to your maximum respiration rate. Reaching the respiration rate too quickly can cause lung or heart problems, as your body may not adapt as quickly to your new workout routine.
Stop smoking. Nicotine and tar found in cigarettes can coat the lungs, making them lag and cause labored breathing.
Don't increase your respiration rate too much, as this may cause hyperventilation.
