Hi everyone,
I’m having trouble keeping my head above water while treading, even though my feet can touch the bottom. I’ve tried using both the flutter kick and the breaststroke kick without using my arms, but I still end up sinking when I try to keep my head above the surface.
I’ve noticed that when I’m submerged and take a breath, my body naturally wants to rise to the surface. However, if I exhale through my mouth or nose, I sink back down. This seems strange because I should be able to tread water and keep my head above water. Has anyone experienced this or have any tips on how to improve?
Struggling to tread water? It’s all about body position! Lean back slightly, engage your core, and use a scissoring leg motion (not flutter kick) to stay higher in the water. Control your breath - inhale through your mouth, exhale slowly through your nose while your head is above water. You can also use your arms for gentle sculling for balance. Practice floating on your back to get comfortable. Keep practicing, you’ll be a treading pro in no time!
I also went through the whole “head underwater” thing when I first started treading water. Trust me, it’s all about body position. Even if you can touch the bottom, try tilting back just a tad and using a sculling motion with your hands (think pushing water away from you). That should help keep your chest up for easier breathing. Also, don’t worry about fancy kicks yet - focus on slow, steady sculling and take breaths when your head naturally pops up.