BREATHING

For novice swimmers, breathing can be the most anxiety-provoking aspect of swimming the freestyle. Some people twist their heads from side to side with every stroke, causing their bodies to wiggle. Others lift their heads straight up, which makes their lower bodies sink. Still others, perhaps fearful of catching a mouthful of water, hold their breath as long as they can before gasping for air. All of these will lead quickly to exhaustion.

Turning your head to inhale is a simple, easy motion that should be coordinated with the roll of your body. As your body rolls toward your breathing side, turn your head gently and take a deep breath. By inhaling when you roll, you won’t need to lift your head out of the water. In fact, you will actually be breathing below the water surface. This is because your forward momentum creates a bow wave extending from your head to your neck, giving you a little air pocket in which to inhale (see Figure 7.4).

After you inhale, return your face into the water and exhale slowly as your body rolls toward the other side. Be sure to exhale completely before turning your head to inhale again.

Probably the most common error swimmers make is early inhalation. If you turn your head to inhale before your opposite arm has entered the water, you are breathing too early (see Figure 7.5). Early breathing gives you an up-and-down rhythm, making you feel that you are swimming faster. Actually, it pushes your lower body deeper in the water, increasing drag and thus slowing you down. More important, early breathing can stress your shoulders, possibly leading to injury.

 

If you experience shoulder pain or tire easily when swimming the crawl, you may be breathing too early. Fortunately, the problem is easy to fix. Simply make sure you see your opposite hand as it enters the water before turning to inhale. When you practice, concentrate on perfecting this timing. It may feel awkward at first, but eventually it will become second nature.

You can inhale to the right side, the left side, or both sides, whichever you prefer. I was taught to inhale to one side, my left. Nowadays, most coaches prefer bilateral breathing: inhaling alternately from both sides. Janet Evans, for example, usually breathes every third stroke, first to one side then the other. Alternate breathing balances your stroke. So it is worth learning, even though adult swimmers may find it a bit difficult at first.

One of the questions novice swimmers often ask is How often should I breathe? The answer is, It depends—on your lung capacity, your physical condition, and the distance you are swimming. If you are doing a 50-yard sprint, an anaerobic event, you probably do not need to breathe more than three or four times—and maybe not at all. In a 100-yard race, you may only need to breathe every fourth or fifth stroke. Then again, you may need to breathe more often. If your body is crying out for oxygen, you need to breathe! Do not hold your breath! Doing so will tire you out very quickly.

For distances longer than 100 yards, you will definitely need to breathe much more frequently—probably every second or third stroke. The key is to establish and maintain a rhythm: stroke, stroke/breathe, stroke, stroke/breathe; or stroke, stroke, stroke/breathe; stroke, stroke, stroke/breathe. Once you are in shape and breathing rhythmically, you will be able to swim long distances without tiring.