Breathing Question

book smarts

When front crawling, I often swallow some water when I breath in, because I'm not that buoyant, and don't turn my head enough maybe. When breathing out, I find I get exhausted quickly because I cant replace the air the way I would when running. What can I do to improve my breathing?

Wisesmurf

A few things I'd recommend are

- Try refining the action of your arms. If you splash the water too much when swimming the water is choppier when you go to breathe and this makes it harder to breathe cleanly.

- Try for a while to swim slower to refine your technique. When you breathe, try for a while to over emphasise you neck action and roll your body to the side more until you find where you need to go to get clean air.

I swam competitively when I was younger but alas, my event was backstroke so no breathing issues.

DaDa

As you turn your head to take in a breath... look at the ceiling... this helped me.

Kevski

Are u breathing out underwater or when you turn your head to take a breath?

book smarts

No, I breathe out through my nose underwater, while facing down. I try and exhale smoothly and then sharply at the end of the breath, to expel any remaining air before turning my head (and torso) up. Is this right?

culabula88

you could practise balancing or swimming on your side for the breathing stoke. when you are taking the breath - try to turn on your side ( like if you are doing a side scissors kick)-


( Say for your Right hand side breathing) When you are starting off balance on your side and look back over Right shoulder . Practice keeping your left hand out as far as possible as this will keep you up .
Looking up at the ceiling is good advice as well especially when you are starting off. I only realised how difficult it can be to get breathing correctly when i started to breath on both my left and right sides, where before i only was breathing on my right.

It mightened be any harm to practise the ideas mentioned in total immersion ( no need to buy the book) but when you are swimming they say to push your chest into the water to help bring your legs up and also stretch out each stroke as if you are reaching for the wall on a final stroke. I found that this improved my speed and balance and made the swimming easier.

Kicking your legs aint that important at this stage , IMO , but just keeping them up to stop you sinking is . You could use the pool bouy for your legs to help make it easier to swim and keep your balance.

Kevski

book smarts wrote:

No, I breathe out through my nose underwater, while facing down. I try and exhale smoothly and then sharply at the end of the breath, to expel any remaining air before turning my head (and torso) up. Is this right?

Yeah you're doing it right. I don't know if you're swimming competitively or not but if so it's a good idea to try not to turn your torso when breathing. It's difficult but it improves streamlining. If not then ur doing ok.

Shane_C

book smarts wrote:

When front crawling, I often swallow some water when I breath in, because I'm not that buoyant, and don't turn my head enough maybe. When breathing out, I find I get exhausted quickly because I cant replace the air the way I would when running. What can I do to improve my breathing?

Two things to add, I hope they are helpful:

1. When you turn your head out of the water to breath there is a thin film of water covering your mouth which you have to blow off before you take a breadth.

2. Not replacing the air is a tricky one. No matter how fit you are you have to start from the bottom again when learning to swim (I know I did). Your lungs are pear shaped so when breathing try to force the air as low as possible to get as much as you can with each breath. Now try to do it while concentrating on your arms and legs at the same time . It will click one day and it is a great feeling.

boomdocker

one word......RELAX......

PTG

boomdocker wrote: »

one word......RELAX......

This is the only good advice youve been given so far and has nothing to do with your questions really, disregard everything else youve been told if you genuinely want to improve your technique/breathing.

Some quick notes, do NOT look at the cieling, the furthest your head should turn is looking directly across the water line and only ever with one eye. one more, you should already be swimming on your side, you dont not swim frontcrawl on your front, you rotate from side to side.

The best advice i can give you is go to a proper swim coach if you actually want to improve, and not waste your time on here.

shanethemofo

http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=mQMgUQi6vBw

Very hard to describe in words.

Try to find the most comfortable way but try not to exagerate your stroke, as in look at the ceiling. Having your head turned so that the water line is just below your mouth. Try only opening the top half of your mouth.

Breathe every 2 or 4 strokes if you can when learning on your most comfortable side. Then when you've conquered that try three strokes, alternating sides. It will really balance you out in the water, but dont do that untill you've conquered the 2 or 4 strokes. DONT breathe every stroke, it messes your stroke up.

When exhaling, i recommend exhaling from the mouth as if you are whistling. nice slow and steady exhaling. you should have all the air gone by the time you need to breathe, if your giving a burst of air out before you breathe then you know you can last longer. Steady breathing is the key to conquering it. The sudden burst of air could be whats making you exhausted!

Most important thing is to keep working at it! Practise makes perfect!

Shane

Mellor

Kevski wrote: »

Yeah you're doing it right. I don't know if you're swimming competitively or not but if so it's a good idea to try not to turn your torso when breathing. It's difficult but it improves streamlining. If not then ur doing ok.

Not turn your torso? Thats pretty bad advice

trinewbie

Thats what I was thinkin...core rotation is apparently the key...I have been deliberatly trying to increase my rotation...so seems pretty strange advice op...

I have found that keeping a straight clean line between head spine and good roation is the key to good breathing...remember the more air you get into you lungs on each breath, the more buoyant you will be and the faster/ more efficient you will be

AngryHippie

Sounds to me as if you're quite low in the water to start with, its not a problem. The problem is that without seeing exactly what you are doing it's tough to pick the problem. Catch 22.

Ignore the straight torso stuff, your shoulders gotta roll, 1 thing that did help people in lessons before was to keep a little breath for a blow once your mouth is coming out, blow any drips off.

A little extra is required on the leading arm when breathing to maintain balance, remember that the once the breathing side arm has pulled as far as your shoulder, your mouth should be almost clear, If it's not check the synch on your stroke, slow it down.

Keep your chin tight to your shoulder, as if you are looking down the arm, not much mind, but that slight difference can create a nice wee eddy from your forehead.

These are pretty small points and difficult changes to make without an observer that know what to look for. Be patient, do some arms only practice and sculling when you can, just in case its a problem with your arm pull not being strong enough to get a breath without breaking rythm, get a lifeguard or coach to watch your stroke. 1 length of observation should show them whats amiss if they know what they are doing.