5 Effective Exercises to Boost Your Co2 Tolerance for Freediving

Increasing your carbon dioxide (CO2) tolerance is essential for freedivers as it directly impacts the duration one can hold their breath underwater. A higher CO2 tolerance means more time to explore the depths. While some individuals naturally have a high tolerance, others need to train to improve. Fortunately, everyone can enhance their CO2 tolerance, often beyond what they initially believe possible.

CO2 tolerance training benefits not just freediving but also overall physical and mental health. Improved CO2 tolerance has been linked to reduced anxiety, better stress management, and alleviation of depression and other mental health issues.

Expanding our CO2 tolerance helps us gain better control over our respiratory rate, emotions, and overall well-being. Here are five exercises to help you improve your CO2 tolerance for freediving:

Before You Start

1. Safety First: Never practice breath-holding in or near water, or while driving.

2. Comfort Matters: Relax your body to hold your breath longer. Find a comfortable seat or lie down.

3. Track Your Progress: Monitoring your progress can be a great motivator.

Exercise #1: Hold Your Breath Up to the First Contraction

Instructions:

1. For three minutes, practice coherence breathing: inhale for 5 seconds and exhale for 5 seconds, aiming for relaxation.

2. Take a deep breath, start the timer, and hold your breath.

3. Note the time when you feel the first contraction or urge to breathe.

4. Exhale and resume normal breathing.

5. Repeat the coherence breathing for 3 minutes.

6. Repeat this cycle 7 times.

Exercise #2: 40-Second Breath Holds with Short Recovery

Instructions:

1. Practice coherence breathing for three minutes: inhale for 5 seconds and exhale for 5 seconds, focusing on relaxation.

2. Take a deep breath, start the timer, and hold your breath for 40 seconds.

3. After 40 seconds, exhale and take two recovery breaths.

4. Repeat the breath hold for 40 seconds, ten times in total.

5. Gradually increase the breath hold time by 10 seconds after every 4 successful training sessions.

Exercise #3: Maximum Breath Hold

Instructions:

1. Begin with three minutes of coherence breathing: inhale for 5 seconds and exhale for 5 seconds, finding relaxation.

2. Start a timer and hold your breath for as long as possible.

3. Note the time and repeat 4 times.

4. Allow 3 rest days before attempting another maximum breath hold to improve CO2 tolerance.

Exercise #4: Breathe Less

Instructions:

1. Calm your breath with coherence breathing.

2. Inhale only 70% of your normal breath.

3. Exhale fully.

4. Practice breathing “less” for 10 minutes.

5. Push through the sensation of air hunger to improve CO2 tolerance.

Exercise #5: Walking Breath Holds

Instructions:

1. Begin by practicing coherence breathing for three minutes: inhale for 5 seconds and exhale for 5 seconds, focusing on relaxation.

2. Take a deep breath, start walking, and hold your breath.

3. Continue walking until you feel the urge to breathe or experience the first contraction.

4. Exhale and resume normal breathing.

5. Repeat this exercise 5 times, increasing the distance or duration as your tolerance improves.

Bonus: Nose Breathing While Exercising

Instructions:

1. During your run, bike ride, or workout, keep your mouth closed and breathe through your nose.

2. You may need to slow down at first, but this practice will improve your performance and CO2 tolerance over time.