Hi Everyone,
I have a serious breathing problem when swimming freestyle.
Either I hold my breath - which I know is a very bad habit for several reason or I try to blow it out - which is the way to swim I know.
The problem is, that whenever I breath out under water I either end up having some air left in the lungs, or run out of air while still doing strokes and eventually when I get to the stroke where I planned to come up for air I gasp for air and have water going down my throat.
Because of these I don't have time for breathing in properly.
In the same time water goes up in my nose if I blow out all the air from my lungs uinder water- which I read the way to go (to blow all the water while under) in order to only breath in when breaking the surface for air.
I often end up with lots of air in my stomach which makes me belch...
In addition I have a low endurance. I can do only 1 or 2 laps at a time...
I have a personal coach but it's not so much he can do from outside of the pool.
I noticed that I cannot swim smooth, effortlessly - which is one of my goals in the long run, beside being able to swim long distances in all strokes.
I always end up swimming relatively fast, when I should be going slow and focusing on my technic.
Should I slow WAY down somehow?
Any advice/drill is welcommed.
Parents
Former Member
My advice would be to use a pull buoy (or even two) exclusively until you can start to feel more relaxed.
Good advice. That's what I did when I just started out.
If you run out of breath and can only do 1-2 laps it's not because you don't have endurance. It's because you are swimming a wrong technique.
When I started with freestyle I was already swimming breaststroke for a year or two.
I was also a good cyclist and had a high endurance but still could only manage 1 lap and then I was totally out of breath.
Swimming with a pull buoy helped a lot.
You need to find the right body position. Don't worry. You will eventually be able to swim 4 laps, then 10 and all of a sudden 100.
I never ever swallow water doing freestyle. Oddly I choke on water when I drink but never while swimming.:p
My advice would be to use a pull buoy (or even two) exclusively until you can start to feel more relaxed.
Good advice. That's what I did when I just started out.
If you run out of breath and can only do 1-2 laps it's not because you don't have endurance. It's because you are swimming a wrong technique.
When I started with freestyle I was already swimming breaststroke for a year or two.
I was also a good cyclist and had a high endurance but still could only manage 1 lap and then I was totally out of breath.
Swimming with a pull buoy helped a lot.
You need to find the right body position. Don't worry. You will eventually be able to swim 4 laps, then 10 and all of a sudden 100.
I never ever swallow water doing freestyle. Oddly I choke on water when I drink but never while swimming.:p
