Saturday, December 29, 2007

 

The Framingham study

The Framingham study focused on the long-term predictive power of vital capacity and forced exhalation volume as the primary markers for life span.
"This pulmonary function measurement appears to be an indicator of general health and vigor and literally a measure of living capacity". Wm B. Kannel and Helen Hubert.
These researchers were able to foretell how long a person was going to live by measuring forced exhalation breathing (flow rate) aka FEV1 and hypertension. We know that much of hypertension is controlled by the way we breathe.
"Long before a person becomes terminally ill, vital capacity can predict life span." William B. Kannel of Boston School of Medicine (1981) stated, "The Framingham examinations' predictive powers were as accurate over the 30-year period as were more recent exams." The study concluded that vital capacity falls 9 percent to 27 percent each decade depending on age, sex and the time the test is given. The study's shortcoming was in suggesting that vital capacity cannot be maintained and or increased, even in severe cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Any opera (not necessarily voice) teacher will support the idea that breathing volume can be increased. Yet activities such as singing or sports are no guarantee of optimal breathing. In fact, they can even invite breathing blocks from gasping, forcing the exhale and breath heaving. You don't have to learn how to sing to have a huge pair of lungs. But you DO need to know how to breathe. I maintain that if you train someone to breathe correctly, they will naturally know how to sing. I have never seen it fail.

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