How to Do the Front Crawl Breathing
Swimming is a great way to increase both your strength and cardiovascular fitness. The front crawl is one of the most popular and efficient swimming strokes. Rhythmic breathing is the proper way to breathe while doing this stroke. Breathing properly will help improve your workout, as well as your speed, and you will be able to swim longer with less fatigue.
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Instructions
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1
Get in the pool and hold on to the side. Extend your arms and face the wall, gripping the edge of the wall with both hands. Bend forward, take a breath and place your face in the water. Exhale through your mouth and nose into the water. Rotate your head to one side, keeping one ear in the water while inhaling through your mouth. Repeat this step until you are comfortable with the motion.
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2
Hold onto a kickboard and propel yourself forward by pushing off the wall with your feet. Keep the kickboard at arm's length in front of you, so you have room to place your face in the water. Kick with your feet to propel yourself through the water while you place your face in the water and concentrate on the rhythmic breathing in step 1. Practice this drill until you are comfortable.
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3
Now without the kickboard, do the front crawl stroke with the rhythmic breathing practiced in steps 1 and 2. Turn your head to breathe as your elbow is coming out of the water. Make sure you are turning your head to the same side of the body as the arm coming out of the water. Turn your face back in the water and exhale at the same time as your hand dips back into the water.
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4
When you are comfortable with rhythmic breathing to one side every two strokes, you can try breathing every three strokes. In this way you will learn to breathe on both sides, which results in fewer breaths per lap. Also, many open-water swimmers prefer to breathe to both sides in order to orient themselves in the water.
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Tips & Warnings
Exhale into the water. Don't try to breathe both out and in when your face is out of the water because your head will be out of the water longer and throw off your stroke timing.
Always keep one ear in the water as you turn your head to breathe.
Breathe through your mouth. You will be able to take air in faster through your mouth than your nose. However, you can exhale through your nose and mouth into the water.
Don't lift your head toward the front when breathing. This results in your legs sinking and bad body position
Don't hold your breath. Always exhale into the water, so that all you have to do when you turn your head is inhale.
Don't break your rhythm to take a breath.
