Can Lung Capacity Increase?

Your lung capacity is fixed, just like your height after adolescence, meaning you can’t physically increase the total amount of air your lungs can hold.

So why do people practice breathwork? It’s not about making your lungs bigger, but about helping your respiratory system work more efficiently—especially your diaphragm, the main muscle responsible for breathing.

By doing breathwork, you strengthen and improve the flexibility of your diaphragm, allowing you to activate deeper parts of your lungs. This leads to better oxygen exchange and helps reduce shallow, inefficient breathing patterns, making each breath more effective.

[marahlieberman]

I started using a tool for that. It strengthens your lungs using resistance when you breathe in and out. It is neat. I like your anatomy doll.

[al-vm]

i often made the mistake of saying "we improve our lung capacity" in class. but it's really about the muscles and also the elasticity of our ribcage (which often becomes restricted through tense muscles & poor posture)

[Eisa]

In our religon the prayer poses are pretty similar and its from about 1450 years ago. You should try researching about it.
Our religon is Islam and we call the prayer Salah.

[tinaperez]

Then how is it that people can increase for how they can hold their breath underwater and other athletes and folks like musicians who play wind instruments? And VO max, etc?

[susanharkema]

So why am I so stoked when I increase my O2 max?

[melissanagy]

Our son has asthma and was told he has long lungs. Can this be corrected?