How to Hold Your Breath Underwater

Whether you want to hold your breath to impress your friends or be a faster swimmer, you'll need to practice holding your breath for long periods of time. Proper breathing techniques will help you be able to stay underwater longer without needing air. This skill is useful for diving, surfing, swimming, and any water activity that requires you to be underwater at any given time.

Part 1

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Building Your Lung's Capacity

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Find comfortable ground to lay down on or sit upright on your knees.^{[1]XTrustworthy SourcePubMed CentralJournal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of HealthGo to source} Practice holding your breath for long periods of time out of water first so you can practice proper breathing techniques.
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Relax your mind and body. While lying down or sitting, focus on clearing your mind of all extra thoughts and worries. Don't move your body around; sit as still as possible. This lowers your blood pulse. A lowered pulse means your body is using less oxygen.^{[2]XTrustworthy SourceHelpGuideNonprofit organization dedicated to providing free, evidence-based mental health and wellness resources.Go to source}
- Your body needs oxygen to move and function. The less you move, the less oxygen your body will need.
- First, practice holding your breath without moving. Then, add in simple, slow movements like walking to train your body to conserve oxygen. This will prepare your body to dive and swim with less air.
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Inhale slowly using your diaphragm. You should feel your belly rise instead of your shoulders if you're using your diaphragm to inhale. Your diaphragm is the muscle attached to the bottom of your lungs that helps expand your lungs to hold more oxygen.^{[3]XTrustworthy SourceCleveland ClinicEducational website from one of the world's leading hospitalsGo to source}
- Start inhaling for 5 seconds at a time. Then, increase by a few seconds every time you inhale. You will be stretching out your lungs and increasing their ability to hold more air. Practicing deep breathing on land can help improve how long you can hold your breath underwater.
- Puffing up your cheeks does not mean that you have enough oxygen. It makes you use face muscles that spend oxygen instead of conserving it.
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Exhale a little at a time. While you hold your breath, let out little puffs of air at a time. You will feel your body try and force you to exhale completely. These little convulsions are your body telling you that carbon dioxide is building up in your lungs.^{[4]XTrustworthy SourceCleveland ClinicEducational website from one of the world's leading hospitalsGo to source}
- Push out as much air as possible when you've finished to get rid of any extra carbon dioxide.
- As you hold your breath, your body turns oxygen into carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is toxic to your body and can cause you to pass out.
- Once you get past the convulsions, your spleen releases more oxygen-filled blood into your bloodstream. Hold your breath past this point to be able to hold it even longer.^{[5]XTrustworthy SourceScience DirectOnline archive of peer-reviewed research on scientific, technical and medical topicsGo to source}
Every time you repeat a breath cycle, push yourself to go a little longer each time. Breathe in and out for two minutes at a time, keeping yourself at a calm and even pace. You are training your body to handle being without oxygen.^{[6]XTrustworthy SourceCenters for Disease Control and PreventionMain public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human ServicesGo to source}

Part 2

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Going Under Water

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Before going underwater, spend five minutes breathing in and out slowly like you've practiced. Relax your body as well while sitting or standing in the shallow end of a pool or body of water.^{[7]XTrustworthy SourcePubMed CentralJournal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of HealthGo to source}
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Dive slowly below the surface. Take one deep breath through your mouth and lower yourself below the surface of the water. Keep your mouth and nose closed while underwater.
- Use your fingers to hold your nose shut if you need.
- Staying relaxed is important since there is more risk in holding your breath underwater than on land.
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Resurface slowly. Once you've reached your body's limit, swim or push yourself to the surface. Blow out any extra air as you rise so that you can take a fresh breath immediately.^{[8]XResearch source}
- Before diving again, take another two to five minutes to do a few breath cycles to get your body back to normal oxygen levels.
- If you begin to panic at any moment, relax and surface. Panicking can lead to accidental inhalation underwater, which can cause drowning.
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Add in movement once you're comfortable. Swimming and forcing your body to dive deeper will use up more oxygen. Don't try to exert yourself right away.
- When diving, you want to remain as relaxed and calm as possible, keeping your pulse low.
- Swimming is the complete opposite. Your pulse will be high and your muscles moving quickly.^{[9]XResearch source}
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Measure your progress by distance and not time. As you begin to go longer without breath, avoid using a timer or counting seconds because you will mentally psych yourself out.^{[10]XResearch source} Instead, measure how far you can swim across the pool or how deep you can go before needing air.
- If you want to keep track of your time, have a friend time you instead.

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Staying Safe

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Practicing alone is dangerous because you cannot help yourself to safety if you pass out or begin choking or drowning. To be extra safe, make sure that your partner is CPR trained so if there's an emergency, they're able to help you out.
This way you can stand or sit while going underwater. Treading water requires extra energy that uses your precious oxygen. It's also easier to get to the surface quickly in case you need air or have an emergency.
If your vision begins to fade or you feel light-headed, go to the surface immediately. Risking your personal safety is not as important as a few extra seconds underwater.

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How can I train myself to stay underwater longer?
Hayley Church
Aquatic Manager
Hayley Church is an owner at Cooksey's Lifeguard & Swim Academy, LLC in Southern California. Hayley has been a lifeguard and swim instructor since 2007 and has dedicated her time to teaching people of all ages how to swim. Hayley and her team offer lifeguards and programming such as swim camp counselors, swim lessons, and water aerobics classes to clients of all sizes from large organizations to private homes. She received her Master’s degree in Recreation Management.
Hayley Church
Aquatic Manager
Expert Answer
Sit along the edge of the pool wall, get prepared, and then see how far you can swim without taking a breath. Have a friend stand at your stopping point (or mark it yourself); then, catch your breath, start again, and try to swim even further.
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How do you breathe without taking in water in your nostrils?
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Exhale. If water gets in your nose while you do a back flip or something similar, keep breathing out. It will help to keep the water out of your nostrils. You can also wear a nose clip if you cannot cope with the water going in.
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Could you do a flip while exhaling?
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Yes. Just make sure you are exhaling when you go upside-down. If you don't hold your nose or exhale, you will get water up your nose when you go upside-down.
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Avoid stress and tension when you're swimming underwater. It makes you stronger physically and mentally.
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Look up free diving classes if you're interested in going deeper and longer with your dives. This way you'll be learning from a professional.
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Only let out tiny bits of air to relieve pressure and only breath in 80 percent of your lung capacity.
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When practicing breath-holding, refrain from forcibly sealing your nose, as gradual, mindful exhalation is safer. Simply relax and let air release slowly until it's time for you to surface. Then, breathe, reset and repeat.
Though challenging yourself is part of the process, pay attention to warning signs like lightheadedness or blurred vision. Surface immediately if concerning symptoms arise — gaining a few seconds isn't worth real risk.
A good starter exercise is inhaling steadily for 8 seconds, holding for 7 seconds, then exhaling for 8 seconds. This gives you enough oxygen while training your breathing capacity. It can also reduce anxiety.
If you're new to underwater breath-holding, stay in shallow sections first so you can stand if needed. Gradually work up to greater depths and distances while keeping safety top priority.
To avoid stinging eyes, periodically lift just your head above water to blink and refresh. Going too long staring open-eyed in chlorinated water causes irritation for most.
When first attempting breath-holding underwater, have a trained spotter present in case assistance is needed. Learning safe limits takes time, so take precautions.

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