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How long can the average person hold their breath? It’s a question that many people have wondered about, at least for once. And I’m sure you are also curious about this, that’s why you are here, right? Keep reading to get complete information on how long can the average person hold their breath?
Generally, an average person can hold their breath for 30-90 seconds. But the exact figure varies from person to person. Some people may hold their breath for above 2 minutes, or some may start feeling uncomfortable within 30 seconds. Factors like smoking, lifestyle, health issues, metabolic and exercise, or breath training also play a significant role.
But Wait, is It Safe To Hold Your Breath?
Well, it depends. It depends on how long you are trying to hold your breath.
Holding breath for 1-2 minutes is known to be safe. But going farther than that can be very risky. It can lead to some serious consequences like damage to the brain, fainting, or seizures.
So, try to avoid holding your breath for too long. Enjoy the fresh air; it’s like a blessing to us 🙂
What Happens In The Body When You Try To Hold Your Breath?
When you try to hold your breath for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, you will most likely feel comfortable and relaxed.
But, if you try to hold your breath for more than 2 minutes, you may start to feel uncomfortable. It can be very dangerous as it can negatively affect the heart and brain. Pain in the lungs can also be experienced.
When your heart faces a lack of oxygen, it affects many things like pumping done by the heart. Abnormalities in rhythm can also occur. It can also cause damage to other organs like the kidney and liver.
The parts of our brain that control breathing are susceptible to pH. And when our brain notices the changes happening in the pH level due to the high level of carbon dioxide, it forces the respiratory to get the oxygen and expel the carbon dioxide so that the body can get back to normal condition. But if this mechanism has been disrupted. It can cause blacking out. In this case, your brain is trying very hard to get the oxygen, so it makes you unconscious for a temporary time. It helps in bringing the automatic breathing mechanism to get back to work.
But if the same happens under the water, it can be life-threatening. Because in this case, you can inhale water in your lungs, which can cause irritation or damage them.
The Benefits Of Holding Your Breath
Holding your breath can bring you many health benefits, including:
- Improves Your Alertness and Concentration – While practicing breath-holding exercise, you train your brain to wake up and feel alert. It helps to improve focus, makes the brain more alert and powerful. Ultimately, it helps to improve the health of your brain.
- Improves breathing function and lung capacity – When you hold your breath, you are challenging your lungs to survive without oxygen for a short time which helps them become stronger. With time, you will notice that your lungs capacity has improved, and you can easily take deep breaths.
- Helps you reduce anxiety and stress – When you hold your breath for a short time (15-20 seconds), it helps your mind stay in the moment. It makes you feel better and calmer.
- It Helps in a dangerous situation – If you have the skill of holding your breath, you can probably survive underwater for a short time in an emergency.
- Helps in swimming – Being a swimmer, holding your breath is one of the most important skills. When you can store more oxygen, then you can swim more effectively.
Some more benefits of holding breath:
- It trains you to feel more relaxed
- It may help in increasing your lifespan
- It may also help to improve your skin
The Main Risks Of Holding Your Breath
Holding your breath can also cause some side effects, including:
- CO2 can build up in your bloodstream
- You may lose consciousness for a temporary time
- The low oxygen level can also cause the low heart rate
- An injury in the lungs can also occur, which can cause lung collapse
- Blood flow to the heart may decrease, which stops your heart from pumping
- The risk of brain damage may increase
- Blood sugar levels can also be increased
These risks can occur if you are holding your breath for a long duration.
What Is The Longest Time Someone Has Held Their Breath?
As of 1 October 2021, the longest breath-hold record has been accomplished by Šobat. On 27 March 2021, he made a record of holding his breath for 24 minutes 37.36 seconds. He surpassed the previous record by 34 seconds. Pretty impressive, isn’t it?
However, before Šobat, there were also some breath-hold records of more than 20 minutes. For example, in 2012, a German freediver named Tom Sietas held his breath underwater for 22 minutes 22 seconds.
Another record was set in 2016 by Segura. He was successful in holding his breath for 24 minutes 3 seconds.
More Related Questions
Does Holding Your Breath Strengthens Your Breath?
Yes. Holding your breath help improve the functioning of the lungs and breathing.
Does Holding Breath Kill Your Brain Cells?
If you hold your breath for a short period, then it’s not going to kill your brain cells. But if you try to go longer, then probably your brain can be harmed.
How Long Can a Navy Seal Hold Their Breath?
Navy seals are trained to hold their breath for 2-3 minutes or maybe more.
Conclusion | How Long Can The Average Person Hold Their Breath?
An average person can hold their breath for between 30 seconds to 1 minute. But it also depends from person to person.
If an average person holds their breath for a short time, it’s completely safe. But going too long with the breath-hold can be hazardous.
Holding breath also has many benefits and side effects too. But, the side effects will be experienced only if someone is trying to hold their breath for a long time, approximately more than 2 minutes.
So, that was all about how long can the average person hold their breath. Now we hope that this article was helpful to you.
