Learning to breathe in swimming is the most important skill, not just in freestyle but for all strokes and skills in the water. Until a swimmer learns this skill, there is no point in moving on to the next skill.
Teaching swimmers from a young age to “blow bubbles” will help them when they move from our 'Swim and Play' program into our '400 Gold' learn to swim program, where this skill is required to learn the breathing technique for all the strokes.
Why is correct exhalation such an important swimming technique? This skill is important because it will make you more relaxed whilst swimming and gets you balanced in the water, making whatever stroke you are doing feel much easier.
Improving your breathing technique will help you become a better swimmer, and improving this skill will benefit swimmers of any age and ability from beginners to the more advanced swimmer.
We often get asked, “How can I improve my freestyle breathing?”
Good exhalation is the key to effective freestyle breathing. Do not hold your breath under water.
The following will help you achieve effective freestyle breathing:
When you are swimming make sure you exhale constantly and smoothly, in one constant stream of bubbles.
You can exhale through your nose, mouth or both.
The only time you stop exhaling is when you turn your head to the side to inhale.
If you have any questions about your child’s breathing technique please speak to a Supervisor before your child’s next lesson.