How to Learn Bilateral Breathing when Swimming Freestyle

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By gottalovelattes
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Like anything else we do which involves both sides of our bodies, breathing alternately on both sides while swimming is a challenge to learn. Teaching yourself or your children to bilateral breathe can be done, but the earlier the better. It becomes more of a challenge to bilateral breathe the longer someone has been swimming freestyle and breathing to one side.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

pool
knowing the basics of swimming freestyle
the desire to change freestyle breathing pattern
motivation

Step 1

Don't feel badly if learning to breathe on both sides (bilateral breathing) seems difficult to you. It is contrary to the way we develop. Think about learning to write. We favor one side. To learn to write on both sides is possible, but the older someone attempts to learn this, the more difficult. But writing is something which can be done successfully with only one side.
Step 2

Sports, on the other hand (no pun intended) are different. Successful basketball players must learn and practice dribbling and shooting from both sides. Soccer players must be able to kick and dribble with both feet, and baseball players can gain an edge by being able to switch hit.
Step 3

The same is true for swimming. Breathing on both sides makes for a more balanced, and more effective freestyle stroke. It also allows for a more technically solid stroke.
Step 4

To start, roll onto the opposite side that you have been breathing on. How to learn it: Stretch the arm underneath you out straight and allow your head to rest on your shoulder. The other arm should lay straight at your side. Your ear and cheek closet to the water should be submerged. Now kick on your side while mouth is out of the water. Do this until you feel comfortable and relaxed.
Step 5

Keeping your head in the same position while turning your body from your shoulders, your chest and your feet toward the bottom of the pool, swim down the pool. Keep your head tilted to the side as before and the arms in the same position as before. Do this until you feel comfortable and relaxed.
Step 6

Now swim while breathing to that side only until you are comfortable. Once you feel ready, swim with your head facing the bottom of the pool twice (count one-two). Then on the third, think "breathe". Put face back in the water while keeping the arms moving and do the same thing. You will find that you are breathing a pattern where it is one-two-breathe right, one-two-breathe left, and so on.
Step 7

You most likely will get water in your mouth. This is normal and you can stop anytime to catch a breath. The main thing to remember is to stay relaxed. The more tense you are, the more likely you are to suck in water. Practice a little each time you swim. Practice for a longer distance each time you swim. Before you know it, you will be more comfortable breathing bilaterally than your previous method of breathing to one side. Plus, your neck will love you for it.