How to Breathe While Swimming

Contributor

By eHow Contributing Writer

Breathing in swimming is a technique that can be uncomfortable for beginners but with practice will improve with each stroke. In competition, breathing is a main component; the less breaths you take, the faster you will be. For recreational swimming, breathing while swimming will help you build lung capacity as well as build muscle without hurting your joints.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Step 1

Bob in the water before you begin your warm-up. Bobbing is just going in and out of the water, concentrating on breathing. Take small breaths going into the water, release all air underwater and come back up to the surface and repeat the process.
Step 2

Blow out all the air while you are face down in the water swimming. Make sure you have no air left in your lungs when you come back up for air. While you are taking a breath, you will slow down in your stroke, take advantage of this to get as much air as you can.
Step 3

Breathe every three strokes to not only improve your speed but to build up lung capacity. If you cannot, try to take a breath every one and a half or two strokes until you are able to take three strokes.
Step 4

Reach your arms out on every stroke you take. This will not only help improve your stroke but make you release air out of your lungs. Elongating your arms is easier with the freestyle stroke.