Experienced swimmers, I need help :)

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LKArgh
LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I started swimming for the first time last week, have been to the pool 5 times so far and love it.
I am self taught at swimming, can master all strokes (with butterfly I am not that efficient but I do not expect to be concerned about it for months), but other than swimming a lot for fun in the sea during warm months (we live relatively close to the beach) I have never focused much on technique, speed etc.
What I have learnt from my pool visits so far is that I have better stamina than I expected in swimming, that I can do great (for a beginner) at backstroke and that, as I expected, I should focus a lot at breathing. Which is where I need help.
I am aiming at 500-600 m per session, 4-25 m laps warm up, 4-25 m laps cool down, the rest active workout. Since I am pretty sure breathing is the big problem, I am focusing on freestyle, to work on breathing. I have so far focused on using a kickboard alternating with swimming with one arm per pool length, trying to copy what my kids do when they are practising in the pool (I never had swim lessons myself, but have been watching my kids lessons for a decade now).

I have found that using a kickboard helps a lot and I can breathe right, but so far this does not transfer that well to swimming without the kickboard. Also swimming with one arm at a time helps with breathing, but again so far it does not transfer that smoothly to swimming with both arms.
From what I can understand, I exhale under the water, inhale on my side, but tend to start inhaling a second earlier than I should, so occasionally inhale a bit of water too.
Can you recommend any specific routine that would help with breathing, or any site where I can get tips from?

Replies

  • painauxraisin
    painauxraisin Posts: 299 Member
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    Blimey! You've done a lot in a week!
    I swim twice a week , and have done so for three years. In that time I've gone from 'granny' swimming (as in breaststroke, head out of water, yakking to neigbour) to 60 lengths, breast stroke (properly!) and crawl which I have learnt since. I couldn't deal with arms, legs and breathing all at once in the beginning so I used a 'pullbouy' (I've lived in France for donkey's years so I don't know what that's called in English. The kickboard is the big one you hold on to isn't it?) Anyway, using the pullbouy left me to sort out arms and breathing without having to concentrate on my kicks. The breathing was the last , and the hardest, to sort out. What helped me personally was to breathe every 5 or 7 strokes instead of every 3 and somewhere on the internet I heard someone say to aim your head to your shoulder to take the breath. The odd spluttering mouthfull will happen but will get less and less as you get into your own rhythm. I have to say, my asthma has calmed down a lot since I started this!
    There are any amount of helpful videos on youtube . Have fun!
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
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    painauxraisin wrote: »
    Blimey! You've done a lot in a week!
    I swim twice a week , and have done so for three years. In that time I've gone from 'granny' swimming (as in breaststroke, head out of water, yakking to neigbour) to 60 lengths, breast stroke (properly!) and crawl which I have learnt since. I couldn't deal with arms, legs and breathing all at once in the beginning so I used a 'pullbouy' (I've lived in France for donkey's years so I don't know what that's called in English. The kickboard is the big one you hold on to isn't it?) Anyway, using the pullbouy left me to sort out arms and breathing without having to concentrate on my kicks. The breathing was the last , and the hardest, to sort out. What helped me personally was to breathe every 5 or 7 strokes instead of every 3 and somewhere on the internet I heard someone say to aim your head to your shoulder to take the breath. The odd spluttering mouthfull will happen but will get less and less as you get into your own rhythm. I have to say, my asthma has calmed down a lot since I started this!
    There are any amount of helpful videos on youtube . Have fun!

    Thank you, making me feel better for myself :) I also have asthma, and I have heard about swimming improving it, so it is something I hope will be a pleasant side effect for me too. I will try breathing less frequently and see if it helps, or leaves me half drowing. At least it will be entertainment for the kids wathing me, and a pleasant break for them from their coach yelling ...

    It does not help my self esteem that daugther can swim laps around me, or that my best friend has been swimming in races for years now and my 500 meters look like a joke next to her routine 3000 ;) And she is battling an illness right now keeping her away from the water, so I cannot ask her for help, the words "water" and "pool" make her miserable.
  • blankiefinder
    blankiefinder Posts: 3,599 Member
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    What about maybe using a snorkel for part of your workout? Also, you could try breaststroke, as painauxraisins mentioned. It definitely allows easier breathing, but still gives a great workout.

    PS, they are pullbuoys here, too.
  • painauxraisin
    painauxraisin Posts: 299 Member
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    Thanks blankiefinder!
    Aggelikik, if you try the 5, 7 stroke thing.. try breathing out very slowly while your head is under. I had panic feelings with that in the beginning but you soon realize you won't drown!
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
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    Hi, I've been swimming for 20yrs now, so will try to share a few things. You're right, breathing is essential in swimming. It was by far the hardest thing for me to coordinate. What I did in the beginning (and absolutely hated) was 10 breaths at the end of every lap. Stop, hang on to the edge of the pool-inhale and go below water level--exhale, rise up--inhale--repeat 10 times. If not at the end of every lap--frequently. It regulates your breathing and gives you rhythm. When you're doing free style, and breathing to the side, turn your head as far as you can towards your shoulder. When exhaling make sure you're pushing air out through your mouth. Many people tend to "hold their breaths" while swimming and then you don't get enough air. You need to empty you lungs as much as possible under water. Remember air is your gas while swimming. Try to watch the better swimmers and how they breath. I breath on every 3rd stroke, alternating sides. People that have trouble breathing lift their heads way too far out of the water. Your mouth should be just above water level while inhaling. Don't worry, all this comes with time--trail and error. You can speed things up a little taking a few private lessons. Best of luck. B)
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
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    snowflake954 wrote: »
    Hi, I've been swimming for 20yrs now, so will try to share a few things. You're right, breathing is essential in swimming. It was by far the hardest thing for me to coordinate. What I did in the beginning (and absolutely hated) was 10 breaths at the end of every lap. Stop, hang on to the edge of the pool-inhale and go below water level--exhale, rise up--inhale--repeat 10 times. If not at the end of every lap--frequently. It regulates your breathing and gives you rhythm. When you're doing free style, and breathing to the side, turn your head as far as you can towards your shoulder. When exhaling make sure you're pushing air out through your mouth. Many people tend to "hold their breaths" while swimming and then you don't get enough air. You need to empty you lungs as much as possible under water. Remember air is your gas while swimming. Try to watch the better swimmers and how they breath. I breath on every 3rd stroke, alternating sides. People that have trouble breathing lift their heads way too far out of the water. Your mouth should be just above water level while inhaling. Don't worry, all this comes with time--trail and error. You can speed things up a little taking a few private lessons. Best of luck. B)

    Thank you. I guess I will have to join the kids doing the breaths several times per lesson. Was hoping to avoid it, but if my 8 year old can survive it, I guess I should too. I wish I could take a few lessons, but the pool is vailable for private lessons at some really weird (for me) hours, like either morning (during my working hours) or after the pool is closed to public, which quite late at night.
  • moritz7588
    moritz7588 Posts: 18 Member
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    If you can't get lessons, try looking at "swimsmooth"
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
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    moritz7588 wrote: »
    If you can't get lessons, try looking at "swimsmooth"

    Thank you, this looks exactly what I was looking for!
  • MamaMollyT
    MamaMollyT Posts: 197 Member
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    Breathing will naturally improve over the next few weeks and months as well as you just get stronger and improve lung capacity. That will come on its own so adding that to the good advice above and you will get there. You are doing something new. Don't feel embarrassed, be proud!

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