Browse by category
You can also browse all questions by category.
lyssvchill
Question:
How can I improve my breathing for swimming?
I'm joining swimming and it gets hard for me to breathe during flip turns. What exercises should I try?
Asked by lyssvchill - 4 answers - 6 weeks 1 day ago
basketball
distance running
field events
gymnastics
marathon training
rowing
running
skiing
soccer training
sprinting
squash
swimming
triathlon
Biomechanics
coaching
diet
drugs
exercise
fitness
genetics
injury
nutrition
physiology
psychology
supplements
team sport
testing
training
veterans
women
circuit training
conditioning
endurance
power
speed training
strength training
stretching
technique
training programs
warm up
weight training
winning
BerrMUFC4eva
What you can do is try some endurance swimming laps. By this I mean when you are swimming a length hold your head under the water for four strokes and lifting up for a breath and then doing the procedure for another four strokes. You can progress this by having your head under the water for more a longer length of time, such as six strokes. After a while of doing this you should be able to notice a difference in your breathing, but make sure that you progress these types of training in your own pace.
Submitted 5 weeks 6 days ago by BerrMUFC4evaI hope this is helpful
swimref
Relax. The problem isn't one of conditioning, but panic. Try holding your breath on land. If you can hold it for more than a second or two you can do a flip turn. If you are out of breath while swimming, practice your balance and breathing out. Generally people are not balanced, so they can't rotate properly to get a breath, and they don't empty their lungs, so the don't get enough new air in.
The suggestion of hypoxic practice will not help for what you are doing. It does have its place, but not with beginners. Also, you never want to lift your head to breathe. In freestyle, you ideally want to still have one eye under water as you rotate to breathe. In breast and fly, you want to breathe with your head still in line with your body.
Submitted 5 weeks 4 days ago by swimrefelkynben
Are you breathing "with your lungs" (perhaps you are hyperventilating) ?
Submitted 5 weeks 3 days ago by elkynbenTry "plexus" breath like in martial arts, it is better. Also consider Inspiratory Muscle Training (search in this website) for your VO2 improving.
CoachTy
In swimming our bodies are constantly evaluating our involvement with the water. When we are working hard and breathing hard we get that nervous feeling of “I need a breath”. This leads to our bodies taking actions to help get to the surface for a breath. These breathing issues are the result of our autonomic nervous system and make us less efficient. Here is a way to train ourselves and re-organize our “primitive brain” to calm down.
Alligator Breathing-
Open your mouth and sink into the water so it just covers your tongue. Then breathe through your mouth over the water. Kinda scary. Then do it with your eyes closed (make sure you keep the water in your mouth the entire time). Then do it moving around. Then do it while splashing yourself in the face. Then you can do it with your eyes closed and someone else splashing you in the face.
Get as many variations of this as you can and watch those breathing issues start to go away (this takes time and isn’t solved after doing it once).
Submitted 2 weeks 2 days ago by CoachTy