When first starting out with swimming, a lot of individuals really struggle with their breathing.
If you can’t manage your breathing, it’s going to be REALLY difficult to sustain your swimming for any length of time.
Getting your breathing under control is priority number one.
One of the easiest ways to get your breathing under control is to make sure your body position is solid.
While I’ll have more on that in a future Quick Fix, here’s an exercise to give a shot for now.
In this edition, I want to show you how to establish and train a good breathing rhythm.
Breathe Rhythmically
Establishing a breathing rhythm, rather than breathing haphazardly, is the first step.
The best way to do that is to NOT swim.
Instead, you’re going to BOB, in either shallow or deep water.
The purpose here is to help you learn to breathe with rhythm, in a controlled fashion.
Be smooth, be consistent, breathe in, breathe out.
Pay attention to the RHYTHM.
As you get comfortable with breathing rhythmically, practice bobbing slower so that you get more comfortable going longer without air.
It will make it less likely that you’ll feel like you’re losing control of your breathing.
Breathe OFTEN
Once you get comfortable with a rhythm, start implementing that with your swimming.
When you do, breathe OFTEN.
Practice breathing every 2nd stroke (i.e. every right or every left stroke).
That will ensure that you’re getting plenty of air and you’re keeping a consistent rhythm.
Practice bobbing between repetitions.
The goal is to get you used to breathing regularly and doing so as smoothly as possible.
Practice SHORT Distances
Practice over short distances to ensure that you’re breathing never gets the best of you.
As it improves, you can shorten the rest periods between repetitions.
THEN you can extend the distance.
This ensures that you’re practicing breathing with a good rhythm, rather than struggling through it.
When You Lose Control
If you feel like you’re about to lose control of your breathing, don’t push through.
Just roll on your back, catch your breath, and then get back to it.
That’s MUCH better than letting everything fall apart.
Give these strategies a shot to see if you can get your breathing under control and dramatically improve your endurance.
Want to know how to fix an issue you’re working through? Just let me know and I’ll make sure to address it.
Whenever you're ready, there are 2 ways I can help you take your swimming to the next level:
1. If you’re looking for do-it-yourself solutions to improve your swimming, check out my resources Freestyle Made Simple and Addressing Adult-Onset Swimming.
2. If you want a more personalized learning experience, we can work together to analyze your stroke or develop a technical training plan.
Exit the water...
Andrew
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