Whether you swim for fun, for fitness or competitively, the proper timing of your breathing is crucial to your performance and to ensure you don't swallow water. Learning to breathe effectively when you swim enables you to cover more distance in less time with less effort.
The Strokes
The timing for your breaths differs slightly for each of the four primary swimming strokes. For the breaststroke, you ideally take one breath for each stroke. For the butterfly, it is one breath for two strokes, and in the freestyle you take a breath for every three strokes. The backstroke leaves your face out of the water, so you can breathe as freely as you like.
Relaxation
It is important to have a relaxed body to maximize your breathing efficiency when performing any swimming stroke. Holding tension in your shoulders, jaws or mouth can throw off your timing and affect your performance, the Human Kinetics website notes.
Rhythm
No matter how you choose to time your breaths as you swim, developing a rhythm to the breathing is essential. Breathing in a regular pattern will help your muscles work in unison with your breaths so the entire movement flows and you swim faster while expending less energy, instructor Phillip Toriello explains on the TVLesson website. Time your exhales so you can get a good inhale when your face is up, and continue that rhythm.
Extras
Apart from the actual timing and rhythm of your breaths, following a few extra tips will improve your performance even more. Release a little bit of air as your face enters the water so you won't get any in your nose, and keep your mouth closed while under water. Let your air out slowly, and use a specific method for releasing it that is most comfortable for you. Try to exhale twice as long as you inhale, and if you do get water in your mouth, move your tongue into the shape it makes when you say the letter "K" to keep it out of your throat.
Member Comments