How to Breathe While Doing the Breaststroke

Breathing during the breaststroke is a natural part of the stroke. It should be incorporated into the movement of the stroke so that the action is seamless and easy to do. The can be challenging at first but follow these steps to breathe during one of the hardest swimming strokes to master.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Start in the streamline position for breaststroke. This position has your arms fully extended over your head. Remember to keep your arms close to your head with you hands overlapping. This should make an upside down V from your hands to your shoulders.

2. Begin the pull by move your arms until they are parallel to each other. Pull your hands downward toward your waist.

3. Start to lift your head when your hands reach the middle of your ribcage.

4. Allow your head and shoulders to come out of the water. This upward motion will happen naturally. Take the moment above water to take a breathe. At the same time, move your hands from the pull position up and in front of your body in a circular motion. Your hands should end up palm to palm directly in front of your chest.

5. Duck your head down and sink back into the water. As you move back down into the water, extend your arms from in front of your chest back over you head into the streamline position and start the process over again.

Tips & Warnings

• Breathing for each breaststroke is a natural part of the stroke but it is not necessary. You don't have to breath during every stroke. Breathing every other stroke, or every third if you can, will help increase your speed and time.

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