I cured my own asthma and allergies and de-aged myself by several years… here’s my secret

Stig Severinsen has been nicknamed ‘The man who doesn’t breathe’.

He holds the world record for the longest time underwater without coming up for air, at 22 minutes, breaking the previous record of just 19 minutes.

His unique gift, which he used for decades, served him well in his career as a world freediving champion.

But at 51 and now retired, he believes his method of extreme breath-holding is what he calls ‘Breathology’ – could be the key to living longer and treating multiple conditions.

He told DailyMail.com: ‘There are many obvious reasons why breath holding can help extend lifespan – and healthier living in general.

“For example, I was never hospitalized, and the childhood asthma and allergies that plagued me for years disappeared with extreme breath-holding.”

Although Mr Severinsen’s technique sounds pseudoscientific, doctors tell DailyMail.com there is some evidence to support his claims.

Dr. Leonard A. Jason, professor of psychology at DePaul University in Chicago, told this website that “there is scientific evidence about the benefits of controlled breathing for activating the parasympathetic nervous system (a network of nerves that relaxes your body after periods of stress).” . or danger), improving lung function and promoting mental clarity.’

However, he notes that direct links to longer lifespans “remain speculative.”

He also outlines some of the potential risks that prolonged or extreme breath-holding can pose, such as dizziness, fainting and in extreme cases hypoxia, which can lead to death with dangerously low oxygen levels in the blood.

In light of the risks, Dr. Jason does not recommend that beginners experiment with holding their breath underwater.

Another breathwork pioneer, Wim Hof, inspired millions of people to take up the practice, but there have been several deaths from drowning over the years.

The Wim Hof ​​method combines hyperventilation with breath-holding and cold water immersion, making it an even more deadly combination if done incorrectly.

But Mr. Severinsen says that breath-holding, if practiced safely over time, can do wonders for your health.

The benefits of breathing techniques like these are due to the body becoming more efficient at using oxygen.

By delaying the urge to breathe and taking in more oxygen, the body is forced to adapt.

The better the body delivers oxygen to the cells in your body, the better it is at repairing damage and cleaning up waste.

This has been shown to reduce the risk of everything from viruses to depression and muscle tension.

As you age, your lungs naturally weaken and lose some of their elasticity, which can make it harder for your cells to get the oxygen they need.

Mr Severinsen said: ‘Keeping your ribcage and diaphragm flexible also helps you absorb more oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide and other body ‘waste products’ better.’

‘Of course, breath holding also includes breath work – so daily training that keeps the cardiovascular system healthy.’

For those who want to experiment with breath holding, he doesn’t recommend people go as extreme as he does.

His top tip is to start out of the water and use breathing as a relaxation technique.

He recommends a two-to-one breathing pattern, where you exhale for twice as long as you inhale.

To promote relaxation, close your eyes and focus solely on your breathing, inhaling for a count of four and a slow, gentle exhale for a count of eight.

Once you’ve mastered this, he suggests taking three to four breath holds each day, holding the breath for as long as is comfortable.

According to him, it is ideal to do this in the morning because your body will be refreshed after a good night’s sleep and on an empty stomach.

As you progress with practicing holding your breath in the water, Mr. Severinsen says his number one rule is to never hold your breath underwater when you are alone.

‘Losing consciousness and experiencing a blackout is fatal – this is the first rule of diving!’ warns the record breaker.

In addition to increasing lung capacity and relieving stress, Severinsen says he holds his breath may increase the release of erythropoietin (EPO), a naturally occurring hormone produced by the kidneys that stimulates the production of red blood cells.

Studies support his claims and some athletes even practice breathing exercises to potentially increase their aerobic capacity endurance.

For this reason, Mr Severinsen refers to breath holding as a form of ‘natural doping’.

He adds: ‘In other words, it is a safe form of what I call ‘natural doping’ because the red blood cells are the vehicles that transport oxygen to every cell in the body – this increases both health and performance.

‘I am sure that future studies will also reveal benefits in telomere length, linked to longevity and reduced risk of disease, along with other epigenetic markers.’

Mr Severinsen says the other major benefit of controlled breathing is that it has been scientifically proven to reduce the levels of stress hormones in the blood.

This means that by applying his technique he can ‘deal with stress in a more productive way’ and ‘completely relax in the face of extreme challenges’.

He muses, “Of course I can feel stressed, sad or upset too, but I’ve learned to deal with stress more productively and anyone can learn that.”

Through his company, Mr Severinsen undertakes a seven-day breathing course, which builds on practice each day, reaching maximum breath holding on the last day.

He says: ‘I believe this is the largest online breath-holding community and training program and our goal is to arm people with the knowledge and skills to double or triple their breath-holding in just one week.”

As for his dive into the world of breath-holding, Mr. Severinsen was fascinated by the water from an early age.

He revealed: ‘Well, luckily I had a big swimming pool in the backyard of the villa where I grew up in Denmark.

‘We also had a nice boat, so for safety reasons my parents wanted my younger brother and I to become strong swimmers.

‘So I learned to swim as a baby and was selected for the ‘talent team’ in my swimming group at the age of five.

‘My breath-holding career, you could say, started in the pool, diving for plastic animals in one breath – this was the favorite game we played as children.

‘During swimming practice I was also a bit naughty and liked to sit underwater while my friends swam two laps – my coach would get furious if he caught me!

‘Things improved when I learned to spearfish and I remember feeling like a real James Bond when I got my first diving knife and spear gun.

‘My brother and I would spend the summer holidays in the Mediterranean looking for marine life, which was great fun.’

Mr. Severinsen started playing underwater rugby in high school and eventually became part of the Danish national team.

A few years later, while studying at the University of Barcelona, ​​he joined the Spanish national underwater hockey team.

On the recommendation of his underwater rugby coach, he started freediving in 2003.

By the end of his first year of practice, he had already broken three records and spent nearly a decade perfecting his meditation technique before breaking the 22-minute dive.

In October 2012, Mr Severinsen broke the record for the longest breath voluntarily held by a man by spending 22 minutes with his head submerged in a London swimming pool.

He also broke the record for the longest underwater dive, covering a distance of 152 meters and 40 cm in just two minutes and 11 seconds.

Although Mr Severinsen has now retired from record breaking, he is still passionate about breath-holding and spends his time traveling around the world teaching his techniques to everyone from children’s swimming clubs to the military .

He also supports a school in Cambodia, ‘in the hope that one day all children in school will learn breathing techniques at an early age so that they can better navigate a fast-paced and often stressful world.’