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Freestyle swimming tips?
I occasionally hit the pool to swim laps on my off days from other exercise. I can swim, I learned a long time ago, but never did it frequently enough or under any kind of guidance to get good at it. As a result, I can't swim continuously for long, and even short swimming workouts wipe me out even though I am otherwise very fit.
A big part of my problem is breathing. Can you give me some pointers in regards to breathing and rhythm for swimming freestyle? I'd like to improve, but to do that I need to know what I should be working on so I can begin focusing on it when I swim.
A big part of my problem is that I can't seem to get all of the air OUT of my lungs between breaths, which makes it hard to take in more air when it is time. I've tried stretching it out to six instead of four, but that is barbarically hard for someone who hasn't built any real swimming fitness. I do notice that I lift my head instead of simply rotating, and I have a lot of trouble slowing things down. I'll start with focusing on those next time I'm in the pool.
1 Answer
- academicjoqLv 79 years agoFavorite Answer
First, practice your stroke and these breathing tips while watching yourself in the mirror and be certain that your stroke is long. Your hand should push all the way back PAST your hip. Then, work on rhythmic breathing.
(I'll write with the idea you're going to breathe to your left side ... if you breathe to your right, then start with the opposite hand). Take a deep breath and start counting your strokes when your hand would be entering the water. When your left hand is out in front of you (as if it is entering the water), start your count. Left hand is ONE, right hand is TWO, left hand is THREE and right hand is BREATHE.
That means that as you are swimming and counting up to three, you are very slowly EXHALING (blowing your air out) and just before you say BREATHE you should explosively finish emptying your lungs. You then roll on your side and WITHOUT LIFTING YOUR HEAD you inhale as your face barely turns. You’ll see a wide open space as your left hand will be down by your hip and your right hand will be just entering the water.
This is, of course, done with the same long strokes that end with your hand pushing past your hip. The other key to the whole thing is (when you're in the water) that you continuously do three things ... keep your forehead in the water, continuously keep kicking with a lot of little kicks, and keep your hands moving as if you were not breathing.
Next ... find a pool that is quite shallow (around 3.5 feet deep is best). Stand in the shallow end and repeat all of the above. Once you feel comfortable doing all of that in the water progress to complete swimming. Start with a push off the wall or bottom. As you push off and before you put your head underwater take a deep breath; start by gliding with your hands over your head with your feet kicking. Then start your stroke with your left hand and, of course, start your counting as I described above.
Don't rush ... go slow … make sure you go really slow and be certain to keep your strokes long, legs kicking, forehead down and totally emptying your lungs a split second before you say "BREATHE".
If you can do all of that, you'll do just fine.
