# For How Long Can You Hold Your Breath? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 13, 2002, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-how-long-can-you-hold-your-breath/103436 "2002-04-13T14:18:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2002, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-how-long-can-you-hold-your-breath/103436/1 "2002-04-13T14:18:29Z")
This puts the M - P in MPSIMS. It’s Saturday morning, I’m incredibly bored so using the second hand on the computer clock I was able to hold my breath for a whopping 1 minute 33 seconds. Alright, who else is sitting around with absolutely nothing else to do? ---
**Author:** ![esp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@esp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/esp)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2002, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-how-long-can-you-hold-your-breath/103436/2 "2002-04-13T14:39:40Z")
Nothing else to do, eh? Okay, let’s see… :o 🙂 :rolleyes: ☹ :mad: - :eek: … 1 minute 42 Is that a new world record? - I think it just might be. Horay! ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2002, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-how-long-can-you-hold-your-breath/103436/3 "2002-04-13T14:58:51Z")
I dunno … let’s try… \< klunk \> ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2002, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-how-long-can-you-hold-your-breath/103436/4 "2002-04-13T15:08:23Z")
Add a ground rule of you only get one try before you post your results. I’m going to try hyperventilating first, and then holding my breath. \ Whoah, a bit dizzy… fifteen seconds… I want to sing along to the mp3 I’m listening to but I can’t… I probably shouldn’t move, to conserve oxygen, but typing is so minimal… thirty seconds… sheesh, this takes longer than I thought. forty-five. one minute. Gotta stick it out. Gotta stick it out. one fifteen. The back of my throat hurts. 1:28. Could probably have gone further … eh. ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2002, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-how-long-can-you-hold-your-breath/103436/5 "2002-04-13T15:08:23Z")
I used to be able to go just shy of 4 minutes (while inactive) when I was swimming and training every day. It hurt like hell, and I just don’t think it’s necessary to stretch to those limits. I can still go about 3 if I’m willing to put up with a fair amount of discomfort. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2002, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-how-long-can-you-hold-your-breath/103436/6 "2002-04-13T15:31:10Z")
I can go close to three minutes underwater. It is fun to dive into dark, deep water and then don’t come up for a while. It lets you know who your real friends are. It is quite painful but I can pull it off consistently although hyperventilating beforehand is necessary. ---
**Author:** ![False\_God](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ee7513/32.png) [@False\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/False_God)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2002, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-how-long-can-you-hold-your-breath/103436/7 "2002-04-13T16:11:42Z")
Four minutes if I hyperventilate for at least thirty seconds. This means that each year at the apartment pool I piss off the lifeguards by swimming laps underwater. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2002, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-how-long-can-you-hold-your-breath/103436/8 "2002-04-13T16:25:09Z")
In my prime, 3:45 (back when my resting pulse was 45), now around 2:40. Yeah, I like to swim laps underwater too. Note: Hyperventilating can be bad. You can pass out, etc. I don’t recommend to others that they try it, especially if swimming. I won’t do it unless I have someone _watching_ me. ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2002, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-how-long-can-you-hold-your-breath/103436/9 "2002-04-13T16:33:06Z")
Sheesh. Enough with the reminiscing about your glory days. Let’s see how long you can go for right now. Also, I agree with **Ino** ’s suggestion of only one try per poster. O.K., carry on. ---
**Author:** ![Jenner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ac8455/32.png) [@Jenner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenner)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2002, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-how-long-can-you-hold-your-breath/103436/10 "2002-04-13T16:46:32Z")
First try: 2 minutes, 17 seconds ---
**Author:** ![white-tigeress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f475e1/32.png) [@white-tigeress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/white-tigeress)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2002, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-how-long-can-you-hold-your-breath/103436/11 "2002-04-13T17:46:42Z")
1 minute 10 seconds. I must be getting old lol ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2002, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-how-long-can-you-hold-your-breath/103436/12 "2002-04-13T18:19:01Z")
1:30. I know that I used to be able to go over 2 minutes with no problem. I really need to stop smoking. ---
**Author:** ![\_ceQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/b9bd4f/32.png) [@\_ceQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_ceQueen)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2002, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-how-long-can-you-hold-your-breath/103436/13 "2002-04-13T19:47:51Z")
1 minute 27 seconds. Damn, seconds are so _sloooow_. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2002, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-how-long-can-you-hold-your-breath/103436/14 "2002-04-13T23:08:06Z")
Just now tried and got 2:01. I know that I used to be a lot better, back when I was in shape. I did laps underwater for fun. We had a small (25m) pool at my high school, and I’d go down, back, and down a little ways again. I know that 60m-75m isn’t all that far, but it sure seemed like a long ways! ---
**Author:** ![moronmountain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@moronmountain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moronmountain)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2002, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-how-long-can-you-hold-your-breath/103436/15 "2002-04-13T23:23:14Z")
Although I’ve never tried competetively to hold my breath for long periods of time, I once went 2:00 exactly in 7th grade for the sake of telling people I could…I’m going to try now with 1 minute of breathing exercises…Hold on. 2:00.33…I probably could have gone another 15 seconds, but the prospect of oxygen seemed like a really sweet deal at that moment. Oh well. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2002, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-how-long-can-you-hold-your-breath/103436/16 "2002-04-13T23:51:01Z")
first try: 1:33. I am way out of practice. 2 minutes used to be ALMOST my breaking point. Damned athletic body using so much oxygen. Maybe later when I’m not fresh off a pot of soup:) ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2002, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-how-long-can-you-hold-your-breath/103436/17 "2002-04-14T02:54:17Z")
I just did: **2 min 04 sec**. That’s a personal record for me. It was easy this time, I just relaxed, held my breath and sat. No frantic watching of the clock, nothing, just gentle sitting. Made it a lot easier. ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2002, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-how-long-can-you-hold-your-breath/103436/18 "2002-04-14T02:57:47Z")
Whew…I’m still lightheaded. I think I hurt something. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2002, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-how-long-can-you-hold-your-breath/103436/19 "2002-04-14T04:41:06Z")
First try 2m37s I must confess though, I practice a lot in class when I’m really bored. In the swimming pool if you make your body go limp and expend as little energy as possible, it’s far easier. I hit around 5 minutes one time…The full length of Graduation by Vitamin C…When I got out of the water, I couldn’t feel my arms or legs which probably isn’t a good thing.