Breathing Basics in Swimming

By Tejasvi Lohia

(Reading time ~3 mins)

How many of us are aware about the right breathing techniques whilst swimming? In order to excel in swimming, it is quite essential to train ourselves regarding the appropriate breathing exercises, as being ignorant about it can lead to wrong body position, cross-overs and lopsided strokes. Here are the most important aspects of your breathing you must focus on:

Breathing Rhythm

Common Mistakes

Breathing too early (during back-sweep) or too late (during down-sweep) while working a stroke is a major problem. When your arm is in front of your face, it increases the chance of taking in lungful of water. Secondly, learners tend to move their head at a particular side (either right or left) for inhaling and exhaling at once, but there isn’t enough time to do both together. Exhalation has to be done when your face is in the water. Inexperienced swimmers exhale just before they turn their head to breathe, which is even worse as it is makes your breath feel snatched and you end up panicking.

What’s Right

Breathe when your hand is in the recovery phase.

Breathe, when your hand is mid air before going for a pull stroke. Exhale through your mouth when your face is underwater. Don’t exhale at once, pace it gradually depending on your inhalation cycle. Practice inhaling after every three strokes. It helps you understand the amount of oxygen you need and build up a pattern accordingly.

Head Position

Common Mistakes

Beginners keep their head too high or out of the water in order to breathe. When your head is too high, it slows you down and you tend to over kick to compensate. At the same time, when the head is too low, extra energy is spent to plow down your way through water.

What’s Right

Breathe in the trough (pocket) made by your head.

While swimming through the water you create a bow wave with your head, creating a trough or a pocket. Roll your body rather than just turning your head and use that trough (pocket) to breathe. If you roll your body, you don’t have to lift your head up for breathing. Do not over rotate as you might end up losing balance.

Exhalation

Common Mistakes

While holding your breath, you tend to feel the need to breathe. It isn’t the lack of oxygen, but buildup of carbon dioxide. That is, letting carbon dioxide stay in your lungs and blood stream makes you feel desperate for air. Holding your breath can also affect your body position making your legs sink.

What’s Right

Focus on exhalation.

Letting out air while your head is in the water will help you relax. Exhale slowly either through your mouth or both mouth and nose. Pace your exhalation based on when you intend to inhale next. It will help in balancing your body and bring efficiency to your swimming.

Bilateral Breathing

Common Mistakes

Breathing from one side will tense up the muscle on one side and you may lose balance at some point of time, leading to a lopsided stroke.

What’s Right

Learn to breathe bilaterally.

Breathing from alternate sides improves the symmetry of your stroke, helping you to swim fast. If you’re having a problem breathing bilaterally, it could be because you’re holding your breath. To overcome this difficulty, you need to exclusively practice bilateral breathing. Breathing helps tone your back muscles. When you breathe only from the same side always, you will end up with stronger stroke on one side, disturbing your body balance.

Image courtesy: www.shauntmax30.com, www.hdwallpapers9.com, www.swimsmooth.com, triathlonmagazine.ca

It‘s not necessarily the amount of time you spend at practice that counts; it’s what you put into the practice.

– Eric Lindros

Find nearby places to swim in Mumbai

Breathing Basics in Swimming

Breathing Rhythm

Head Position

Exhalation

Bilateral Breathing

It‘s not necessarily the amount of time you spend at practice that counts; it’s what you put into the practice.

How Exercise Improves Performance of Your Child’s Brain

How can India win more medals in Olympics

A Sports Revolution. spyn social. Become a part. Now!

Free Social Platform

spyn Social App

Company

Other Products

Misc

Breathing Basics in Swimming

Breathing Rhythm

Head Position

Exhalation

Bilateral Breathing

It‘s not necessarily the amount of time you spend at practice that counts; it’s what you put into the practice.

Share this blog

Free Social Platform

spyn Social App

Company

Other Products

Misc