Kickboard question for new swimmer

"New to swimming, get winded after 50 yds" -- I'm not a coach so will tread delicately here, but it sounds to me as though longer swims within your present capacity would help. That is, slow down to a pace that does not wind you, so you can go forever easily. In slowing down, you are likely to make discoveries about body position in water, managing breathing, different contributions of kick, pull, roll and how to finesse their working together. Regards, VB

do you breathe in and out through your mouth? try to breathe in by mouth and exhale by nose. you might be holding your breath while swimming.

I feel like a total idiot asking this question but I've only been involved in land athletics up to this point.

A kick board question is not stupid. Tell me the name of one swimmer who has not used a kickboard. You could kick 1 , swim 3, kick 1, swim 3, without a board. There are a lot of ways to do it. Wall kicking can be done but not preferred. Just kicking on the back with a board or without a board. You can use a board on the front holding it out front in one hand and side kick on either side. Do some catch up front crawl to get used to letting the body having extention. oregonmasters.ning.com/.../show

This is the kicboard I have been using - it allows me to vertical kick more comfortably and seems to require more ab strength to keep stable in the water. Thanks for the input geochuck...is there a specific reason you don't recommend wall kicking?

I obviously can't spell and forgot to post a link to the kickboard:) Finis Alignment Kickboard

do you breathe in and out through your mouth? try to breathe in by mouth and exhale by nose. you might be holding your breath while swimming. I actually breathe in and out through my mouth...I blow a lot of bubbles when I exhale. I'll try the nose exhale tomorrow and see if that helps any. I did try to do the humming thing while exhaling today and it seemed to at least keep me from clenching my jaws and kept my mind occupied so I wasn't stressing myself out thinking about breathing.

Welcome to swimming! I swam for years through college, but that was a long time ago. I've only been back in the water for a few months, so I come to the forum to get, rather than give, advice. But since you haven't received any replies yet (which is surprising), here goes. I think if you can keep moving in the pool for 45-60 minutes, then you are doing great! Don't worry about 'kicking too much.' A recent article on Olympian Ryan Lochte has many of us thinking we need to be kicking more. That said, you may want to try kicking some on your back or side without a kickboard. That will give you a better feel for the water, and will be easier on your shoulders. If you are getting much more winded swimming than kicking, I wonder if you are having trouble getting the timing of your breathing when you swim? That's an issue for lots of very fit 'dryland' athletes. I would recommend doing some pulling with a pull buoy. That will allow you to slow way down without sinking, so you can concentrate on relaxed breathing and swim further without too much effort. I'll leave it to others for more specific advice. C'mon folks! Enough about the LZR already. Let's help out the newcomer!

If you are getting much more winded swimming than kicking, I wonder if you are having trouble getting the timing of your breathing when you swim? That's an issue for lots of very fit 'dryland' athletes. I would recommend doing some pulling with a pull buoy. That will allow you to slow way down without sinking, so you can concentrate on relaxed breathing and swim further without too much effort. Thanks craig...I noticed yesterday that I clench my jaws when I breathe out. Guess it's a reflex thing. Obviously I'm not relaxed. I do find it hard to slow down so I'll try the pull buoy today. I bilateral breathe - which seems too long after I get going but single side breathing is too often for me.

I do use wall kicking when teaching. I can actually be next to the swimmer and make the feet and legs do the action the way I want them to do. Wall kicking is better then no kicking but we cannot get the real water feel. As a youngster I did lots of kicking on the wall front and back. With and without kick boards front and back, now I do my kicking when I swim. It feels more natural to me. Push off the turn 2 or 3 dolphin kicks then start flutter kick and swimming stroke. I do varied kicking some time very realaxed, almost none kicking, sometimes very hard fast kicking. In a 50 or hundred crawl the kick is really there in distance it is very relaxed.