About Us

The Need for Innovation

PowerLung, like many other products, was invented out of personal necessity. Mr. Barry Jarvis is the inventor of PowerLung. Mr. Jarvis has been involved in the invention of new products and product enhancements since the 1970’s. While other products had practical value, PowerLung was invented due to a personal need for the very improvements it offers.

Won’t Give Up

In 1990, Mr. Jarvis suffered a heart attack at the age of 48. In his youth in England, Mr. Jarvis was a competitive rower with various rowing clubs, among them Walton, Weybridge and was a founding member of Tideway Scullers. In his 30’s he took up rugby football. Then he began running and trained and became a sub-3-hour marathon runner. Then came the heart attack. While his recovery went well, Mr. Jarvis was never able to really resume any level of activity after this time. He would see others who had never exercised extensively take up running and succeed. His own efforts seemed to be rewarded by a continued decline in his athletic pursuits. As a matter of fact, he was often only barely able to walk across the room. Physician after physician advised him to sit down and take it easy. To lose his ability and be told to take it was just more than Mr. Jarvis could stand. There had to be something that would help – he just needed more oxygen. “If I could just breathe” he would say. So, physicians gave him inhalers, but they did little if any good.

“There must be something”, he said, “That will help me breathe better and get more oxygen”. So, the search began. While the Internet turned up many leads very few of them offered more than airflow restriction, which could be accomplished by breathing through a series of progressively smaller straws. There were other similar devices that offered another form of resistance; flow independent they were called. This time, they were only available for inhale. As Mr. Jarvis said, “Why would you only train any muscle in only one direction?” So the search continued for a machine that would train inhale and exhale muscles in the same breath. Something that would train the breathing muscles in both directions just like you train other muscles when you go to the gym or health club. The search continued turning up volumes of research supporting the value of respiratory muscle training but no product.

New Beginnings

For an inventor, who really needs something, this scenario is the foundation of a new product. So, the development process began with assimilating research that began in the 1920’s and building a prototype according to the information provided in that research. Three months after he started using the prototype, Mr. Jarvis was able to briskly walk a 3-mile loop at his favorite park and on occasion he could even jog. AND he was able to quit using his inhalers.

A Company Is Born

Mr. Jarvis soon realized that he was not the only person suffering from this feeling of breathlessness, so work began to convert the prototype into a product. Carolyn Morse joined Mr. Jarvis to handle the marketing and sales of the product. The marketing research completed, and the design was fine-tuned retaining strict adherence to implement the body of research that existed on respiratory muscle training. Actual product development began, and the first product was delivered to a customer in October 1999.

Mr. Jarvis used his PowerLung twice every day until his death in 2013. To him this daily routine really was the breath of life that permitted him to be active on a daily basis and remain in the best health possible for his condition and maximize his health for as long as possible. Following Mr. Jarvis’ example, each PowerLung employee has a PowerLung and uses it regularly.

Which Model is Best For You?

PowerLung AireStream

Choose This Model If

  • You are not active but want to reduce or eliminate shallow breathing.
  • You are just beginning to be moderately active but may not yet participate in athletics or a formal exercise program.
  • Your breathing is very shallow, and you want to train yourself for good deep breathing.
  • You want to improve your breathing technique for your singing or playing a musical instrument.
  • You are in a wellness, rehabilitation, recovery, yoga, or exercise program.
  • You are a student of a low-pressure musical instrument.

Light Activity, Good Health

The AireStream helps you learn to breathe deeply and makes breathing easier to enjoy daily activities. The AireStream is excellent for making healthy lifestyle changes, and for people who may be involved in light daily activities but may not be involved in athletics or exercise programs.

To Improve Breathing Technique

Performing artists, amateur and professional alike can use the AireStream to improve breathing techniques and breath control.

    PowerLung BreatheAir

    Fitness & Active Lifestyles

    Breath Control & Endurance

    People who find the BreatheAir optimal are moderately active and exercise at least 2 to 3 days per week. They prefer regular low intensity activities like walking, fitness swimming or low- intensity styles of Yoga, Pilates or martial arts.

    Performing artists will use a BreatheAir to condition or improve breath control and muscle memory.

    Choose This Model If

    • You are moderately active, working out 2-3 days a week
    • You walk or swim for fitness regularly
    • You practice Yoga, Pilates or martial arts
    • You want to change to deep breathing from shallow breathing
    • You want stronger vocal resonance, projection and breath control
    • You are a student musician and want to learn good breathing form and support for your sound
    • You prefer to train for a more open breath for your instrument
    • You regularly play a low pressure instrument

    PowerLung Trainer

    Training & Exercise Activities

    Advanced Performers

    The Trainer model is the most appropriate for those who are looking to improve performance in sports or other rigorous activity. The Trainer is excellent for the advanced student or amateur athlete to help them in their competition and recovery. If you have been exercising for many years but find it harder as you have aged, the Trainer helps you restore some of the muscle tone and breathing ability. Resistance training in this model is the highest level of resistance in breathing training for most people.

    Advanced or professional performing artists specializing in high pressure instruments or professional singers with high lung volume will improve endurance and breath-control.

    Choose This Model If

    • You are in good physical and aerobic condition and desire to improve your performance
    • You exercise or train for running, cycling or sports at high intensity almost daily
    • You want to train in your Target Heart Rate Zone for longer and train easier at high intensity
    • You want to train breath management for better sports or music performance
    • You are a professional or advanced musician who wants to play, sing or perform more relaxed for longer periods of time
    • You play a high-pressure instrument but don’t always have time to warm up before or between performances

    PowerLung Sport

    Elite Athletes

    Top Performance

    The Sport Model offers the highest levels of resistance available in a PowerLung. If you are an advanced athlete or in a physically challenging job and already perform at the highest levels, but you want to improve or extend breath control or muscle tone, the Sport will be a value-add to your training regimen.
    NOTE:
    The resistance controls on the Sport do not adjust lower to include the resistance of any other models.

    If music is your primary reason for using a PowerLung most music teachers do not recommend the Sport model due to its high range of resistance.

    Choose This Model If

    • You are in excellent physical and aerobic condition.
    • You would consider yourself an elite athlete on the conditioning level of someone in Navy SEALs, Special Ops or SOCOM community.
    • You want to assure every breath gives you the most your body can give.
    • You want to perfect managing your breathing to improve your performance for racing or performing well in your job.

    This model is not meant for the casual user or even those who activity is moderate to high.