Freestyle crawl
Raleigh/Cary, NC
I am new to swimming as an elderly adult. I have read books, watched DVDs, and watched YouTube over and over again regarding proper kicking, posture, rotation, high elbow catch, hand entry into the water, and breathing.
When I use an ordinary snorkel, I can swim length after length, 100s and hundreds of meters, without fatigue and with reasonably good form. (Still, I continue to work on strengthening my lats, pecs and core for even more strength and stability.)
But, as soon as the snorkel comes off and I have to breath, I can't get breathing into a rhythm. After 25-50 meters I am huffing and puffing and very discouraged. I am sure I am just turning my head for that "quick breath" (looking straight down to the pool bottom the rest of the time), breathing out from my nose while my head is in the water, but something I cant figure out is terribly wrong.
To be able to swim "forever" with a snorkel and swim hardly at all without a snorkel just doesn't make sense to me.
It's very discouraging.
Any ideas or help you can offer as to 1) why this is happening and 2) how to fix it will be truly appreciated.
Nathan
Using the snorkel is not helpful at this stage. Because of it, you are probably just keeping your whole body straight and level. It's not a matter of simply turning your head. You whole body has to rotate and as you raise an arm, the shoulder also comes out of the water, then the head will be free enough to breath without much rotation at all.
Breath out when the face is down using both mouth and nose. Blow it out strongly and completely so as soon as the face is free, you can take in a normal, not gasping, breath. Check out the picture here.
www.thoughtco.com/breathing-freestyle-swimming-3168734
Using the snorkel is not helpful at this stage. Because of it, you are probably just keeping your whole body straight and level. It's not a matter of simply turning your head. You whole body has to rotate and as you raise an arm, the shoulder also comes out of the water, then the head will be free enough to breath without much rotation at all.
Breath out when the face is down using both mouth and nose. Blow it out strongly and completely so as soon as the face is free, you can take in a normal, not gasping, breath. Check out the picture here.
www.thoughtco.com/breathing-freestyle-swimming-3168734
