I have always breathed to the right only, but recently have started to try to learn how to breathe to my left. I am finding it much more difficult than I had anticipated. The main reason:
I am out of breath the whole time.
I feel like I am not getting the same quality of breath as I do when I breathe to the right. My breathing feels short and choppy. I also feel like I am lifting my head to breathe instead of breathing with my body roll.
Worse still, I am now dropping my right elbow and I am so out of breath the whole time, I can hardly concentrate on trying to keep it up.
On the positive side, my left elbow position has improved considerably (which is why I started down this road in the first place) and my kick is being forced to improve. (I have always had a crossover kick and for some reason or other when I breathe to my left, I don't do it).
Two weeks into the change now and it is definitely feeling more natural, however, I was hoping others who have tried this could give me some advice on what to watch out for and maybe give me some tips on how to make it feel more natural.
Hi Syd, it's great to hear that you're slowly but surely beginning to master bilateral breathing! As you noticed, it does take time to perfect, particularly after years of breathing only to one side. However, as you also observed, it is worth the effort for many reasons. In swimming, the primary goal is to be as efficient as possible so that we can maximize speed for the amount of energy we are putting in. Among other things, bilateral breathing improves your symmetry and balance in the water. Most of us have a dominant side of the body, and by breathing only to one side, we tend to put all of the emphasis on that dominant side. Bilateral breathing helps develop strength on both sides instead. Bilateral breathing is also helpful in open water, when we need to see all around us or when we may need to breathe to the other side to avoid the sun or keep an eye on landmarks during the swim.
One of the elements that we focus on during our Swimspire stroke technique clinics is teaching drills that will help reinforce bilateral breathing, among many other aspects. Here is an article I wrote for Ironman that describes some of those drills. Hope it is of help to you! www.ironman.com/triathlon/news/articles/2014/11/5-essential-swimming-drills.aspx
Hi Syd, it's great to hear that you're slowly but surely beginning to master bilateral breathing! As you noticed, it does take time to perfect, particularly after years of breathing only to one side. However, as you also observed, it is worth the effort for many reasons. In swimming, the primary goal is to be as efficient as possible so that we can maximize speed for the amount of energy we are putting in. Among other things, bilateral breathing improves your symmetry and balance in the water. Most of us have a dominant side of the body, and by breathing only to one side, we tend to put all of the emphasis on that dominant side. Bilateral breathing helps develop strength on both sides instead. Bilateral breathing is also helpful in open water, when we need to see all around us or when we may need to breathe to the other side to avoid the sun or keep an eye on landmarks during the swim.
One of the elements that we focus on during our Swimspire stroke technique clinics is teaching drills that will help reinforce bilateral breathing, among many other aspects. Here is an article I wrote for Ironman that describes some of those drills. Hope it is of help to you! www.ironman.com/triathlon/news/articles/2014/11/5-essential-swimming-drills.aspx
