If you’ve ever had to hold a long note, or needed to snatch a quick inhale midway through a musical phrase, you’ll understand the frustration of running out of breath. Click here if you are looking to book a Singing Lesson in Southampton near you
So how can I improve my lung capacity for singing? Other than working with a coach, the best method is through repeating breathing exercises. Vocal techniques encourage us to breathe both vertically and horizontally, taking in as much air as possible.
In this article, we provide tips on improving your respiratory health, making your vocals stronger and sweeter.
How can I improve my lung capacity for singing?
When practised with proper vocal technique, singing develops good breath control strengthening the lungs and helping with a number of viruses and conditions. Equally, lung health training will make you a better, stronger and more resilient singer.
These sponge-like organs sit on either side of the chest and receive the air you breathe in from your mouth, via the windpipe. They absorb oxygen from this air and release it into your bloodstream where it circulates around the body, helping all the organs, including your brain, to function better. Your body then produces carbon dioxide, a waste gas that enters the bloodstream. As well as taking oxygen in, your lungs take on the job of getting rid of this carbon dioxide when you breathe out.
This is why you often feel more relaxed after a big sigh. Strong lungs can perform these functions better, leading to increased overall health and wellbeing. The more air you can take in and release in a sustained manner, the better your voice can sound and the wider your vocal range may be.
Why do I feel breathless when singing?
Did you know you take around 25000 breaths a day? But you won’t think about most of these – if any at all – unless you experience breathlessness. Under normal conditions, you’ll only inhale a few litres of air a minute, but when exercising this can increase to 100 litres per minute. If your body isn’t used to this, it can struggle to maintain the amount of breath it needs to function at this level. And this can lead to breathlessness. Singing places a conscious emphasis on better breathing and trains you to breathe longer and stronger.
Breathlessness may also be a sign of an underlying condition, so do check with your doctor if you are experiencing this, despite taking regular exercise and breathing correctly.
Working one on one with a vocal coach that understands your vocal is always preferable. Having even the occasional face to face session can be super helpful. Click here to work with a local vocal coach near you in Southampton.
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Lung capacity and singing
If you take shallow breaths all the time it means that you’re not using your full lung capacity. Deep breaths have a cleansing effect. We absorb oxygen and eliminate carbon dioxide, a waste gas, on the out-breaths. Too little of this means your overall body function isn’t as tip-top as it could be. Shallow breathing is also linked to increased stress levels. This is why it’s important to breathe deeply and slowly when we need to calm ourselves.
If you have asthma or COPD, increasing lung capacity will pose much more of a challenge. But it is very possible and even more important for your respiratory and overall health. In this case, it may help to use a breath trainer. These offer scientifically calibrated resistance, requiring the user to practice for around 30 breaths a couple of times a day. The device increases resistance gradually, a bit like weight training, strengthening the lungs. Make sure you always have your inhaler with you. Let others – notably your singing teacher and fellow musicians – know about your condition and what to do in the event of an asthma attack.
Breathing exercises to strengthen lungs
There are plenty of options to carry out your own lung health training. Online resources provide lots of excellent advice and exercise, including instructional videos showing the correct technique.
The best way to train, however, is to work with a local vocal coach or singing teacher. They can watch and correct your breathing as you sing and offer personalised exercises. Or join a singing group or choir, for the added benefit of a sense of community and fun.
Lung capacity exercises
Here is an exercise to do at home:
Breathe in for as many counts as you can manage, hold for two, then breathe out for as many counts as you can manage. Hold for two, then repeat.
If you do this regularly, along with your singing practice, you should see an increase in the count you can manage. Do be careful not to push yourself so hard you feel lightheaded. Only go as far as you can reasonably manage.
You should also learn to sing from the diaphragm. Here are some more exercises to follow:
Once you’ve learnt to breathe from your diaphragm, all of your singing will strengthen your lungs. As a result, every time you belt out a tune, you have the added benefit that you’re fine-tuning your lung health.
In making your lungs stronger, you plumb the depths of your own lung capacity. Much like our brains we often use little of what we’ve got. This is especially necessary for singers who belt out power ballads and sing high notes. Beyonce famously sang when she was heavily pregnant with twins. She sounded amazing, despite having less lung capacity. This is because she knew how to make use of all areas of her lungs, including the sides, when babies pressed on her lower lungs.
Singing for lung health
There is a direct link between singing and strong lungs. This is why it’s an activity often suggested as a route to lung health. Some conditions can hamper lung function, leading to illness and a limit on activities that require deeper breathing. Singing can, in many cases, help to overcome and improve this.
You can also support your lung health (and singing voice), by:
- Avoid breathing in smog and pollutants. If you’re painting or exposed to fumes, put a scarf or mask over your nose and throat. If you live in the city, try and get out to the countryside or the seaside now and again.
- Have a COVID vaccination when offered it and wash your hands frequently to avoid picking up respiratory infections.
- If you smoke or vape, give up. It’s incredibly bad for your lungs and for your vocals. It’s also expensive – just think about how you could better spend the cash.
Some medications, especially steroid-based ones can dry out the voice and this includes many of the prescribed treatments for asthma. Some inhalers can cause hoarseness, so if you’re a singer, speak to your doctor or asthma nurse to work out the best course of treatment for you. Using a spacer may really help, as well as checking your inhaler technique. And keep your voice healthy with lots of lukewarm liquids along with a nutritious diet…
How can I strengthen my lungs?
Diet is always key in health, wellbeing and improved vocals. In terms of benefitting your lung health in particular, here are some great foods to add to your meals.
- Oily fish (like salmon, fresh tuna and mackerel) and eggs are packed with omega 3. If you are vegetarian or vegan (or don’t like fish), opt for walnuts instead.
- Fruit, especially apples, apricots, lemons, limes and oranges are full of vitamins A, C and E. Berries are good for their antioxidant properties.
- Vitamin A is important for the lungs and can be easiest to absorb when eating poultry.
- Like berries, beans contain free-radical fighting antioxidants.
- Broccoli is often recommended for those with COPD due to its antioxidant and NRF2-dependent characteristics.
Exercising as well as singing is great for your lungs, as aerobic activity encourages you to breathe slightly differently, but also deeply. Swimming is an ideal form of exercise to improve lung function, as are yoga and pilates. If you have a lung condition or asthma, do speak to your doctor first. A mix of aerobic and slower-paced activity is ideal. It will also improve your posture, helping to access all areas of your lungs when you breathe.
Do singers have more lung capacity?
A singer will usually demonstrate a better lung capacity than the average person. However, there’s another type of musician who’s likely to ace the singer, when it comes to this… The wind musician. Instruments like the trumpet, are the ideal way to strengthen your lungs. It’s often the case that those who take up a wind instrument at a young age, develop better breath control and lung capacity in adulthood, than those who do not.
There’s no doubt about it, singing will strengthen your lungs and make you healthier. Your system is cleansed in the process. And as long as you follow your doctor’s guidance, it can help improve even serious respiratory conditions. And there’s no reason to put it off. Lung strengthening breathing exercises can be done more or less anytime, anywhere, without anyone even knowing. So increase your lung capacity and become a better vocalist.
Related Questions
Does singing hurt your lungs?
Singing doesn’t hurt your lungs, rather it makes them stronger – but there’s a caveat. You need to do it properly. Good breath control is the foundation of vocal technique and is achieved through practising regular vocal exercises. If it causes pain beyond a lung infection, see your doctor.
Can singing improve your health?
Singing increases oxygen and blood flow, as well as helping to reduce the heart rate to a healthy level. It is, therefore, an excellent activity to stimulate heart health and general wellbeing.
Do singers breathe differently?
Coaches train singers to breathe low into the belly and sing from the diaphragm so neither the shoulders nor chest rise. Breath is taken in and released in a slow, sustained way, to produce a pleasant tone. This is beneficial for achieving a soft singing voice, as well as a powerful one.
Are singing lessons worth it?
This is probably a question that many people have asked over the years. But the short answer is yes. Professional vocal coaches can help you to train your voice and make sure that you are singing in key. They can also help you to sing louder.
To book singing lessons in Southampton, check our availability below:
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