1 WORK TO THE MAX

"Stronger lungs mean more stamina and physical sharpness, whatever sport you do," says Olympic strength and conditioning coach Peter Melanson. Want a faster five-kilometre time? Boost your V02 max - the speed your lungs oxygenate your blood, which in turn fuels your muscles. "Do 30 minutes of cardio three times a week and increase the distance by five per cent every week," advises Melanson.

2 GO STEAMING IN

Germs and bugs clog up your internal bellows, sapping endurance and making you hack like a pensioner with a 40-a-day habit. According to the American Journal of Medicine, steam will flush them clear. So fire up the sauna and let the steam go to work. You'll emerge with the stamina of Michael Phelps. Maybe.

3 GET YOUR OWN GILLS

Get the underwater prowess of a fish by, well, eating their essence. American Lung Association studies found that consuming 20 grams of fish oil a day boosted lung function by a breathtaking 64 per cent. Stock up on oily fish or a grab a supplement (Blackmores Fish Oil 1000, $26.95/200 capsules; blackmores.com.au).

4 LOTUS LUNG POWER

Yoga's benefits extend beyond a female-to-male class ratio of four to one. Researchers from Ball State University in the US found taking yoga classes twice a week for 15 weeks significantly stretches your air bags. Try Ashtanga yoga - it's nicknamed the "athlete's yoga" for its aerobic qualities. "Lung function increases with anything that encourages deep breathing," says Dr Noemi Eiser, of the British Lung Foundation.

5 FIVE O'CLOCK SHADOW BOX

"Hitting a punching bag for about 20 minutes a day, three or four times a week is a tried and tested way of improving your cardiovascular and respiratory system," says boxing expert Ross Enamait. And there's no better time to do it than after work. "The lungs are nearly 20 per cent more powerful at 5pm than they are at noon," explains Boris Medarov, lead researcher at Long Island Jewish Medical Centre in the US.