I started learning to swim just two weeks ago with no prior pool experience. I’ve made significant progress since my first week. Without a personal coach, I’m relying heavily on YouTube tutorials. Yesterday, I completed a 50m kickboard swim with just one break and a 25m amateur freestyle.
I feel close to mastering it, but I’m struggling with my breathing technique. I’ve come across multiple suggestions from different trainers regarding breathing, and I’m confused about which method is correct. Here are the techniques I’ve found:
After inhaling, face down, hold your breath for 1–2 seconds, then exhale (bubble).
After inhaling, face down, don’t hold your breath, and immediately start bubbling.
After inhaling, start exhaling right away as you enter the water.
After inhaling, face down, exhale slowly for a few seconds, then forcefully exhale all the air before inhaling again (only one YouTuber suggested this).
I realize I’ll eventually need to experiment with each to see what works best for me, but I would love to hear how you all breathe during freestyle swimming.
The real answer is that you’ll stop thinking about it. But essentially, it’s #4. Techniques #2 and #4 are really similar; #4 just acknowledges that you finish your exhalation completely before the next breath.
@West
This is great advice! To be honest, all the other suggestions can be a bit confusing, but I understand we all come from different starting points.
The challenge for adults learning to swim is the amount of information we have to unlearn.
@West
Thanks for suggesting that I’ll eventually stop thinking about it! I get that. Last week, I had to concentrate on my left leg during kicks; now I don’t think about it at all. Focusing on key points in the initial sessions has helped. That’s why I’m here asking for tips.
@Blayne
It seems like you’re getting too many tips from YouTube and forums. The value of a coach is less about what they know and more about providing ‘one voice.’
It’s easy to get overwhelmed with information.
A suggestion: focus on the fundamental aspects of your body position first before moving too much in the water. Start with your hands at your sides, add a slow kick as a tiny propeller, and then sneak in the breath without fully turning your head—just rotate your hips slightly. Timing can then align with your arm strokes. That should simplify your breathing process.
For me, the key was not to fully empty my lungs while exhaling. I use a mental cue like ‘mixing fresh air with the existing air in my lungs’ and never fully exhale. It took me three years of swimming to realize this, as I was always short of breath before.
I used to swim competitively, and I noticed that my breathing changes based on the distance I’m swimming. For longer swims, I breathe every three strokes for the first 25, every four strokes for the second 25, and then alternate back to three or even five as necessary.
When breathing every three, I exhale as soon as my arm (on the side I’m breathing to) hits the water, so it’s almost immediate. For every four strokes, I breathe and then start to exhale once the other arm enters the water. And if I’m breathing every five, I take two strokes after inhaling before I start to exhale.
It becomes second nature after practice, so don’t stress it out too much.
For me, it generally depends on the distance. When swimming longer distances, I tend to exhale right away. When sprinting, I hold my breath and exhale just before I take the next breath.
I practice technique #4. In freestyle, I breathe early in the stroke and get my face back in the water quickly to create an uneven stroke, maximizing my pull with both arms. I also practice bilateral breathing by switching sides every length so I’m comfortable breathing to either side of the pool.
Blayne said: @Jagger
Do you recommend bilateral breathing for beginners? I’ve only been breathing on my right side and thought it best to master one side first.
Yes! When I started swimming competitively, they encouraged bilateral breathing right away. Being comfortable with both sides will enhance your overall swimming greatly down the line.
I do bunny hops, or what you might call traveling bobs—bobbing and jumping to the bottom of the water. It’s a rhythmic motion involving leaning forward, jumping, pulling hands down and then pulling knees up under the water. Sink down, blow out your air, and come back up when you need a breath. Keep hopping forward and inhale through your mouth until gravity brings you back down. This skill also enhances safety in case you need to stop swimming.
I think releasing air (with a more explosive exhale at the end) is effective. I realized I was holding my breath longer than necessary, which made longer sets difficult. I started exhaling sooner and in a more controlled manner, and the difference is noticeable for longer distances—much easier!
For beginners, I teach technique #2. I count to four: inhale on the first count, and for counts two, three, and four, I bubble out water. Ideally, these three counts correspond to three arm strokes.
I start exhaling about halfway through my underwater segment. Usually, if I get into a rhythm, it’s sooner but not immediate yet. As my endurance improves, I aim to exhale completely while underwater as I used to decades ago.
