Skillful breathing can help you swim longer without gasping for breath. Pranayama, which means breathing in Sanskrit, is a breathing exercise often used by swimmers to learn skilled and controlled breathing. It improves the quality of inhaled and exhaled air and teaches rhythmic breathing patterns that work well during swimming. As a result, the oxygen intake in each breath increases and you can swim for longer periods of time without feeling out of breath.
Ujjayi Pranayama
Step 1
Sit with your back and neck straight. Place your hands on your knees and close your eyes.
Step 2
Exhale deeply through your nostrils. Breathe in deeply through your nostrils while counting to four. Hold the breath and count to two.
Step 3
Exhale through your mouth and count to four. Repeat five times.
Kapalabhati
Step 1
Sit with your back and neck straight. Place your hands on your knees and close your eyes.
Step 2
Exhale without moving your chest or head. Breathe in deeply through your nostrils, expanding your abdomen as it fills with air.
Step 3
Breathe out quickly through your nostrils, pulling your abdomen inward.
Step 4
Repeat 25 times without pausing between breaths.
Nadi Shodhana Pranayama
Step 1
Sit with your back and neck straight. Place your left hand on your left knee. Place the right index and middle finger between your eyebrows.
Step 2
Place your thumb of your right hand over your right nostril. Inhale slowly through the left nostril and count to four. Place your right ring finger over the left nostril. Hold the breath and count to two.
Step 3
Remove your thumb to unblock the right nostril. Keep the left nostril blocked. Exhale through your right nostril while counting to four. Inhale through your right nostril while counting to four. Block both nostrils and hold the breath while counting to two. Unblock your left nostril while counting to four.
Step 4
Continue breathing in this manner for two minutes.
Bhramari Pranayama
Step 1
Sit with your back and neck straight. Close your eyes and place four fingers of your right hand over your right eye and four fingers of your left hand over your left eye. Block your ears with your thumbs.
Step 2
Inhale deeply through both nostrils. Exhale through both nostrils and make a humming sound as you exhale.
Step 3
Repeat five times.
