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Trouble breathing while swimming? |
I just joined the swim team about a month ago. I am a pretty good swimmer, the only thing is that after 1 lap I get a shortness of breathe and can't swim as well. Is there anything I can do to help my breathing? Oh, and this mostly happens in free, not as much fly or breast stroke. freestyle usually is the hardest stroke to breathe in. here are some tips so you don't get out of breath as easily: ~don't rotate your head every stroke. that makes breathing harder and slows you down a lot. ~if the pool that you practice in has a stripe down the middle of the lane, concentrate on that, then your head will stay down and you won't get out of breath, plus you will go faster. ~breathe from your strong side (right if you are right-handed, left if you are left-handed). ~don't look ahead. water then can easily get up your nose (which, of course, makes breathing harder) and you go slower if you are looking up instead of down. ~only breathe every 3+ strokes. try experimenting before swim meets to see how many strokes you can swim before you have to take a breath. ~push yourself to improve your endurance. after you finish one lap, don't stop, just keep on swimming. ~work on holding your breathe. use a stopwatch and see how long you can go with out breathing. try to beat that time over and over until you double your record. ~try out different breathing positions. every person has a different position that feels comfortable to them. a few examples are: *clenching your teeth together *relax your jaw, but keep your lips together *open your mouth completely *bite your tongue (not too hard) ~don't splash that hard. keep your arms firm and use your hands like cups to throw the water back. remember to kick hard but don't slap your feet on the water's surface. Breathe only ater every 3-4 strokes. Some people make the mistake of trying to turn their head back and forth after every single stroke. That's poor form as well as very tiring. I turn my head to the side without getting it out of the water....I just make sure my mouth is out of it. Good luck! Sounds like you need cardio and endurance workouts. Tellyour coahc your concerns, have him evaluate your form for inconsistencies and as for advice. Working the lungs is the only way to increase their performance. You can do lung-busters (25s with breaths) and other drills to work on your breathing, definitely approach your coach for some advice. That shows your coach that a) you WANT to get better, b) you are willing to work hard and c) you respect his/her opinion. Good luck!!! USA Swimming coach, USAT triathlete, endurance athlete, competitive open water distance swimmer You should train for longer periods, and breathe on alternate sides every 3 strokes. That way you will not get as tired as every 2 strokes which is what most people do. It worked for me when I started swimming and was totally out of shape. Push yourself a little, and try to maintain a constant rhythm. Try to train regularly, I mean, 4-5 times a week and it will help a lot. Good luck and keep it up! Own experience |
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