Yet another breathing problem

mattym

I have starting swimming lately because of an injury from running but am having problems with my breathing. I learned to swim years ago but its the first time i'm actually going to the pool to work out rather that just "have a splash". My problem is water going up my nose, and when i get to the end of my length and stop and breath normally, i get the water going from my nose going down my throat which starts a bout of coughing. I started using a nose clip which helps a little but have lost a few in the pool already!! Anyone have any ideas to what i'm doing wrong?

Steyr

Are you exhaling underwater? If not then you should be.

hunnymonster

re the nose clips, you can get them with a string attached which you can loop around your goggles. I know kayak shops do them if not swimming shops. That said, perfecting your technique will be better in the long run. Do you only have the problem at the end of the length? try "humming" or "blowing bubbles" as you exhale under water. We get kids to do this when they are learning and it really helps them to remember to breathe out.

Clseeper

I think this may be more due to practice and not being that comfortable with your breathing. Does this only happen at the end of your swim? Or during?

If during then you could exhale slowly, trickle, out through your nose as you are swimming. Water shouldn’t go up your nose while swimming. The air is trapped in your nose and lungs so no water can get in unless you’re doing something to let the air out, like tumbling. Try it, just put your whole face under the water and open your mouth, as long as your face is down no air can escape so no water can get in.

If it is only at the end, which is more likely, it seems that the minute you stop your swim you take a deep breath in straight away [only natural]. But the problem is you take the breath so quickly after removing your head from the water that there’s water in your nose which is then sucked into your lungs. Try holding your breath at the end of the swim as you stand up and take the first breath, after standing, only through your mouth. By doing it more slowly and in a controlled fashion, may just fix this altogether.

mattym

I am exhaling out when under water and its out through my mouth. Should i be breathing out of my nose? It seems that when i finish a length and stop i just swallow and i can feel water in my nose being swallowed and that usually starts a cough. It annoying because i end up stopping swimming long before i'm tired because of it so i dont feel its a great work out. I'll try waiting a few seconds to take a breath at the end of a lenght next time. Thanks for all the replies.