Breathing and respiration

Preparation and Planning

The diversity and unusual nature of the MOD contexts demonstrated within this lesson both support student understanding and generate interest in the topic. Use of all multimedia assets provided will ensure a memorable lesson and an engaged audience. One copy of each Student Worksheet per student is recommended, and you may wish to also photocopy the list of suggested extensions to this topic for independent study or homework activity.

About the MOD Topic

The fitness of Armed Forces personnel is of paramount importance, to ensure that all (regardless of the nature of their job) are able to tackle the physical and mental challenges of operational service. Not only must personnel undertake physical tests and meet specific levels of fitness during their selection and training, they must continue to be able to demonstrate a level of fitness pertinent to their jobs throughout their career.

All three Services make provision for ongoing fitness training of personnel, and facilities for personnel to train in their own time and to participate in a wide variety of sports and adventurous training are widely available. Similarly, their health and physical wellbeing is supported via numerous resources and initiatives, including:

- comprehensive rehabilitation services including physiotherapy
- dedicated PE coaches and personal trainers
- advice services for those undertaking particular physical challenges or going on operation to a physically challenging environment (advice includes training, kit, nutrition, acclimatisation)
- support services for those wishing to give up smoking or with a drug dependency (note that drugs of any kind are not permitted within the Armed Forces).

Dedicated training has to be provided for those members of the Armed Forces whose personal safety and ability to conduct their job effectively is dependent on their fitness or a specific aspect of their fitness. Examples of some of these dedicated training needs include:

- breathing skills for RN Divers
- breathing skills for submariners in escape-drills from submarines
- controlled breathing by snipers when setting targets
- breathing skills on Adventure Training trips to high mountain areas (the Alpine walking pace)
- breathing skills for Armed Forces athletes (e.g. long distance runs, swimming)
- breathing and use of breathing equipment by pilots
- military musicians.

Areas of further interest for possible research within www.mod.uk
- Royal Navy Submarine Escape Training (SETT)
- RAF High Altitude Parachuting Course (HAPC)
- Peter Reed (RN) and the Olympic Coxless Four's high altitude training camp
- High altitude training by Nepalese women hoping to apply to the Gurkha Regiment
- Aircraft departure at high altitude by Special Air Services (SAS) personnel
- Nutrition and metabolism training for the British Army Everest expedition 2006

Further Opportunities for Learning

Provide students with data sets showing the volume of several people's thoracic cavities when fully exhaled and fully inhaled. Ask students to work out the difference between the two in order to calculate their lung capacity.

Royal Navy Lieutenant Pete Reed is an ambassador for the Roy Castle Lung Foundation. Discuss with students why he might have been chosen for this role.
Following the slide about Lt. Peter Reed, invite students to review their comparative lung strength and capacity via the following exercise:
Distribute a balloon to every student. Invite them to take a deep breath and to see how far they can inflate their balloon with just one breath. Differences will be marked around the class and students should compare their relative fitness levels. Point out that Peter Reed would be capable of inflating a balloon to at least twice the size of most students' balloons!
Note that this activity does not indicate a student's lung capacity. The average adult's lung capacity is 4-6 litres.

Student worksheet answers

Download the teachers notes PDF to access the answers for this lesson.